foto Priority

Thank you to Chris Belyea again for this contribution to foto priority. This time Chis brings us an Amateurs ‘How To’ Guide to chance location.

Don’t forget you can checkout 100′s more of Chris’s images on his flickr site

Hopefully the title has caught your attention as this shoot was largely by accident and a good deal of luck thrown in for good measure, but more about that a little later on

I was driving to work one morning as I noticed the early morning sun playing on the foreshore around the Ryde bridge so I thought it might be worth a return visit just a little earlier to explore the possibilities.

A quick check on Google and I found what looked to be a potential shooting locale … Bennelong Park.

This place really has a lot to offer as its reasonably protected, has a variety of visual elements that  you can easily utilise such as the two wharves, Ryde Bridge to the west, and of course, the rising sun in the east.

©Chris Belyea

About this shot

Canon EOS 50D, ISO100, f/14 at 8 s, Av mode,-1/3EV, Evaluative metering, Daylight WB

Manfrotto tripod, mirror lockup, cable release

EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM at 28 mm

Just like the past few weeks, there’s really nothing all that difficult about taking a shot like this beyond finding the right spot, but you’ll need to bring your tripod

The RAW file 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

1. The wharf lights give off a yellow hue, whilst the passenger terminal at the end are a darker yellow/orange so its advisable to bring along a grey reference card to help with colour balance
2. A wide angle lens will possibly distort the light stands, particularly in the foreground, but this is easily fixed in Photoshop

Equipment

All you’ll really need is your camera and a tripod

Best Time to Shoot

As the Kissing Point wharf protrudes out quite a way into the Parramatta River, facing east is perfect for sunrise and I’d be keen to return to see what happens around sunset facing west towards Ryde Bridge – there’s also a smaller wharf that faces across the river to Rivendell and has a better view of Ryde Bridge as well.

Now that’s the Location, Location piece over and done with, so where does the Luck  part come in ?

 Well, have a look below … by waiting a mere 15 minutes and turning to my left I witnessed a pretty spectacular light show, so that was reasonably lucky, but the those two pelicans swimming in tandem in the foreground … now that’s what I call Luck !

©Chris Belyea

About this shot

Canon EOS 50D, ISO50, f/11 at 1/13 s, Av mode,0EV, Evaluative metering, Daylight WB Manfrotto tripod, mirror lockup, cable release

EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM at 35 mm

How to get there

Type in Bennelong Park into Google Maps and you’re all set, but just in case …

Good Luck!

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 4^th 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

1. 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)
2. 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
3. The lights are on a time clock and appear to shut off at around 6:00 am
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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