Landscape Assignment 3 - a linked theme

For this assignment, we were asked to take 8 photographs on a common theme. Several themes were suggested and, although not obligatory, I have chosen the theme of 'water' as this seemed to link well with some of the sections within this unit, particularly the challenges of taking photographs at either end of the day, and because it would be a reminder of our local area in Spain which we are about to leave.

Although on a common theme, I have tried to vary the type of photographs chosen by using different lenses, times of day, angles of elevation etc. I found that one of the different aspects of taking photographs in low light is the necessity to 'work in the dark' (literally) so being organised is essential. I found the 'live view' function on the camera (Canon 50D) incredibly useful but it was difficult sometimes trying to accurately focus manually because of the light and the type of subject.

The first photograph of the series was taken before dawn at the nearby port of Sancti Petri, using a Tamron 18 - 270mm telephoto lens. By zooming-in, I was able to capture the reflection of the orange sky in the water and the silhouettes of the two boats. Taken at f/16 and exposure time of 0.60 seconds, ISO 100 (with tripod) @109mm.

Photograph number 2 was the only shot taken without a tripod. I had just finished spending an hour taking pre-dawn and dawn shots when I crossed over the headland to look at the estuary. This moored sail-boat in the post-dawn light made a great subject and I included some foreground to balance and frame the shot. Some rare (for here) cloud was a bonus. I would love to say that I had waited patiently for the two birds to fly over the boat but I can't! Taken with my telephoto lens at f/9 and exposure of 1/400 seconds, ISO 400 @130mm.

This is one of my favourite shots of the set. It was taken on the beach here in La Barrosa just after dawn. The shot looks to the north west, so the sun was rising over my right shoulder. I used a Tokina wide-angle lens set very low to the ground in order to achieve the feel of 'stepping stones' leading into the frame. In the distance, on the left, can be seen the lone fisherman who features in photograph number 4. Taken at f/16 with a long exposure time of 3.2 seconds and ISO 100 @12mm.

Another fairly low shot but looking out towards the south-west. The lone fisherman was an obvious choice of subject but the positioning was important. Ideally, I would have liked him on the right 'third', looking into the frame rather than the left 'third' looking out but the balance of the shot would have been wrong as there were no rocks to the left. Having him standing between the two channel markers was some compensation. The slowish exposure time of 0.60 seconds has given the sea a slightly
smooth look. Taken with the telephoto lens at f/16 and ISO 100 (with tripod) @142mm.

Photograph number 5 shows the island of Sancti Petri (rumoured to have been visited by Julius Caesar, presumably not on a package tour). The castle of Hercules, on the island, has recently been renovated, hence the lighter stonework which is supposed to 'weather' to the original colour within a couple of years. We shall see! The castle is to the west and the sun sets behind it during the two equinoxes, but to the left at the current time of year. This shot was taken just after sunrise so the sun was behind the camera. The colours, particularly the sky, are quite warm and the colour of the sea hasn't been artificially enhanced. The sky was particularly interesting so I set the horizon in the lower half of the frame with the rocks in the foreground. The shot was taken with the telephoto lens @130mm at f/16 and an exposure time of 1/20 seconds and ISO 100 (with tripod).

In this shot of the sun setting at La Barrosa, we have not one but two star-like diffractions of the sun (with a bit of unwanted lens glare to boot). As indicated in the course material, this diffraction results from a very small aperture (in this case f/16) together with a small size of the sun's image in a wide-angle view. I had my tripod set very low on the beach (the sand gets everywhere!) to provide some foreground, with the help of a lone figure, and the lens very wide at 11mm. Exposure time was 1/8 seconds and ISO 100. I used a Cokin ND8 grad filter to try and balance the shot. The island can be seen to the right of the sun.


 The reflection of the golden sky on the beach as the tide retreats is one of my favourite parts of the sunset and the next photograph features this.

Using the telephoto lens to zoom in on the shore line, I chose a long exposure time of 2 seconds to smooth the waves in the upper part of the shot and to capture the beautiful reflection of the orange sky in the lower third of the frame. The photograph was taken about 20 minutes after sunset. The result is an almost abstract composition which I like very much. Taken at f/25 (to lengthen the exposure time) and ISO 100 @168mm.

Finally, another photograph of the island (for which I make no apology!), about 30 minutes after sunset. The sky was cloud-free and the orange glow got deeper and deeper, making a superb sight which I have tried to capture. I used the telephoto lens at a wide setting (55mm) but still decided to crop the shot to make the island more prominent whilst keeping the wonderful golden colour of the sky with the horizon in the lower half of the frame. The long exposure time of 4 seconds again smooths out the surface of the sea. Taken at f/25 and ISO 100.

Concluding remarks

This was an enjoyable assignment in that I have been able to take photographs of some of my favourite features of my local environment. As mentioned earlier, there are practical difficulties to overcome when taking low light photographs, and even when using 'live view' it is often difficult to be sure of a correctly focused shot, particularly when using a manual focus setting. Having to put reading glasses on and off to check things was an added chore! However, the rewards of getting up early (not too early as sunrise is after 8am now) and waiting patiently for the light until well after sunset, are evident in these photographs - or so I hope. They will certainly be a reminder for me of my time spent here.