yesterday the northwest wind came howling in, whistling through the trees in violent gusts and knocking out power in some areas, including the area of town where i work. after a little wait, we decided to call it a day, as there isn't much work i can do without a computer or printer. so off i went to enjoy some sunshine (at least one benefit of the northwest wind, as opposed to the prevailing southeasterly, which brings rain), with camera in hand. wait, when is my camera not in hand?
i had originally set out to see some waves, but quickly realized the south facing beach i picked was a bit sheltered from the wind (perhaps thankfully), and the waves coming in were small, although the wind blowing off shore cut the tops off them in a wild spray of water. on the spit of land i walked along, the wind came howling over the top and whooshed down along the sand, stirring up little bits of grit in clouds that i had to turn my back (and camera!) to. the tide was out, leaving blinding stretches of sand in the glare of the sun.
despite the brightness of the sun, the side lighting as afternoon began to make its way toward evening created a warm glow for photos. the beach is certainly a warmer, more welcoming place in summer, but the light tends to be more flat, and therefore less flattering. i found lots of shells and bits along the way and found myself snapping away wildly. i think at least one shot will make its way into the shop as an 8x10 print.
truth be told though, i think i've let me focus on proper photo technique slip a bit. not that i think one should always abide by the rules (see exposure above, that while wrong, gives a pleasing result i think), but that i'm not using the full features of a camera the way i used to. lately i'm thinking this old canon rebel xt is showing its age (nearly 5 years), or maybe it's not offering what i'm looking for anymore. or perhaps it makes it too easy to slip it into "auto" mode, rather than spending a bit of time choosing aperture and shutter speed wisely. anyone using a higher end canon DSLR that they enjoy? with my setup of lenses, i will stick to canon, but i'm looking at upgrading to something a bit more in the advanced amateur (60d) or semi-pro (7d) category.
3 comments:
That wind was COLD. Too cold to be down at our exposed beaches. But the sunshine is wonderful, and your pictures are lovely. I am nowhere near techie enough with cameras to answer your questions, I just like to look and find pictures all around :)
i for one think you work wonders with your canon rebel but maybe you just need to bring it in for a little tune up or professional cleaning. If you are lazy with the settings wouldn't it be worse to move up to a more setting dependent semi professional model. I really feel it is the subject, the light and the photographers eye that are far more important than the equipment.
Proper exposure or not, I love these photos. You have caught the intensity of the afternoon sun. Great idea to put some of your photos in your shop.
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