Chris Belyea has kindly agreed to become regular contributor to our “tripod holes around Sydney” category. We’d say looking at Chris’s photos on flickr he is certainly qualified to give everyone a “how to” guide for getting those awesome landscape and seascape images he has been producing lately. Keep reading below to find out how to get “that shot” at Mona Vale Tidal Pool.
If you live on Sydney’s north side, or are looking for something different to shoot at sunrise, I would suggest that you take a look at Mona Vale pool as there’s plenty there to inspire you as well as keep you occupied, and if you strike it ‘just right’ (more on that later) more than likely you’ll be rewarded with some great images to take away
Just a word of caution … I’m only an amateur photographer, who still has a lot to learn, and the information I’m offering is based on my experiences, and I’m sure that there will be plenty of better ways to do this, but we all have to start somewhere and hopefully this might help an aspiring photographer
OK, now back to the action !
There is a huge variety of shapes and textures at the pool, and as it sits at the end of a rock shelf, at low tides the background, depending on where you’re shooting from, can be as interesting as the foreground.
The simple geometric lines of the pool, and the wonderful stainless steel railings and chains, offer a huge variety of compositional possibilities.
Aside from the main pool itself there’s also some great shots to be had of the pool steps, the ramp leading to the smaller play pool and the wonderfully rusted valves on each pool
Mona Vale Tidal Pool - Chris Belyea
About this shot
Canon EOS 5D Mk II, ISO100, f/11 at ½ s, Av mode, -1/3EV, Evaluative metering
Manfrotto tripod, mirror lockup, cable release
EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM at 24 mm
I set up on the steps of the pool making sure that I had everything level and then focused on the 4th railing from the right at the far end of the pool and selected f/11 to get as much of the texture in the foreground in sharp focus. This also made sure that I was shooting through the axis of the lens so as to avoid and weird distortions.
As the lighting was fairly ‘even’ (nothing too bright or dark) I went for Evaluative metering and deliberately underexposed by -1/3EV to gain a little more contrast. Admittedly, I can get away with this with the 5D Mk II’s low noise and light ability, however the results with other setups may vary
Bearing in mind that the 5D Mk II is a full frame camera, to get this angle/perspective with a crop camera you’ll need to have a wide angle lens of around say 10 – 15 mm. Canon shooters with the EF-S 18-55 lens should be OK and I’m presuming Nikon has a similar lens in this range
The RAW files was processed in Lightroom to get the basic image to where I wanted it, and then used Nik Software plugins in Photoshop to finish things off
Things to Consider
- As with most Sydney beaches, the pool is illuminated by a set of sodium vapour lamps which will play havoc with your white balance, so the easiest solution is to set your camera’s white balance to Auto (I know some will certainly disagree with this) and take a test shot with an 18% grey target (I use a WhiBal) making sure that the pool lights fall on the card. It’s then a simple matter to adjust your white balance in Lightroom (or Photoshop, or Aperture)
- Don’t even think of shooting here in anything but RAW as you’ll have no chance of getting rid of the orange glow cast by the sodium lamps
- The lights are on a time clock and appear to shut off at around 6:00 am
- The pool is very popular with early morning swimmers, so as the saying goes ‘ … the early bird …’ however I’ve always found them to be extremely friendly and more than happy to chat
- Tides and wind direction can play a big part in how the pool ‘looks’ and behaves. At low tides, the rock shelf is exposed and the surface of the pool takes on a fantastic glassy look which is great at sunrise. At higher tides there will quite possibly be waves crashing into the pool, both situations offer great possibilities
- Whilst Mona Vale is not typically a ‘big surf’ beach, you obviously need to be aware of the conditions around you … cameras and salt water are usually not a good combination
Equipment
The pool faces due east so at sunrise you will be shooting directly at the sun so graduated neutral density filters can help if its particularly bright.
Needless to say, a tripod is essential as the shutter speeds can get rather low, and I’d suggest you get familiar with how to put your camera into Mirror Lockup if that facility is available.
A remote shutter release is also a great asset, however if you don’t have one, simply put your camera into self timer mode
As you’ll be shooting in a less than kind environment, some microfiber cloths are a good idea to clean your gear off with when you get back to the car
Best Time to Shoot
I’ve found the best time to shoot is definitely pre dawn and sunrise, however mid winter during the day, if you’re lucky enough to score of those magical crisp, clean and cloudless days also offers up a few possibilities
The best time to shoot is definitely at ‘first light’, typically about 30 minutes before sunrise as this allows you to set up and assess what’s happening with the pool, the sky etc
How to get there
Mona Vale pool isn’t that difficult to find, and there’s usually plenty of parking.
Make your way along Barrenjoey Road, turn into Darley Street and then into Surfview Road. Park at the northern end of the car park and then make your way towards the beach.
Google ‘Apex Park, Mona Vale’ and that will take you where you need to be
If you’re planning a sunrise shoot, you can’t miss the pool as its illuminated by those wonderful sodium vapour lamps
Have fun !
more of Chris Belyea’s work
October 14th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I have always been inspired by this image and it was great to see how you worked hard on an image that not only tells a story but is so alive and almost magical in its presentation.
As someone who has completed your People Photography workshop in the past it has really helped to see how you created this composite image and the processes involved. Kudos to you for sharing it with us
Warm regards,
Vanesa
October 16th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Cheers Vanessa. I’ve also got a video clip of the whole process which I might post up in the next few weeks.