On my recent family trip to Corolla, N.C. I made a point of getting up early and walking the beach. Many times I have photographed sunrise on the ocean and each time there is a difference. Lately, I have been trying spend a little more time just taking in the immediate scene and trying to find what more experienced landscape photographers call the “scene within the scene”. On this particular morning I became memorized by the play of early light on the waves as they broke on the shoreline. It is a timeless and beautiful ritual. It was fun to imagine that this rhythm of waves and sand has been repeating for millions of years before any amateur photographer roamed the beach to notice.
Bird on a rock
On a recent early morning shoot at Sandy Point Park near Annapolis Md., I arrived at 5:00am to set up for some landscape images of rocks on this Chesapeake Bay beach. Over the past year, I have been trying to find a theme for my photography that makes me happy. I really like landscapes and nature -particularly bird photography. When I am out looking for birds I typically carry my long lens and I try to concentrate on all the tips I learned about composition, and catching the action and “mood’ of the birds. Coastal landscape shots require a different set of skills. Today was a day for landscape work until……
After setting up my camera and tripod for some images of rocks on the beach, a lone Sandpiper flew in and positioned himself on a rock right in the center of the composition. He stayed there for about 30 minutes, staring at me from “his” rock. I suppose the lesson is - “put some birds in your landscapes dummy”. Anyway, here is what we came up with that morning. - Bill
