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Soberanes Arch
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Soberanes Arch by PatrickSmith
Soberanes Point, in Big Sur near Carmel California is a rugged piece of coastline backed by 4,000 foot mountains. I wanted to isolate this arch and give it a 3D look by doing a long exposure so that the waves do not distract from the rock forms. Also, it was isolated more when I made the top of the arch break the horizon just in one spot. I had to run across a low point in between waves to get out to a rock similar to the arch in order to get this composition. And yes, I did get soaked of course, which ended my plans for a night time image from here!
This may be my last upload for a while, as my birth defects research ogranization is moving a few miles away from where it is now in Berkeley. They are not sure about internet connections right now and when we get it, it may be too slow for EPZ'ing. LOL - Time for a new job! So I may be commenting during the night time GMT for a while after about Wednesday of this week.
1 minute exposure @F22 with ND grad 0.9 + 8 stop circular ND filter. (That got the exposure up to 1 minute from about 2 seconds, which reduced the cottony messy water effect of shorter exposure times.)
Also, on long exposure shots like this, wait for the ocean to calm down so that colour comes through and it is not so white that the water blows out from being too bright.
Related Article, Technique, Review
| Date Added: | 21 Apr 2008 - 15:30 |
| Camera: | Canon 5D |
| Lens: | Canon 17-40L @22 |
| Film: | RAW (digital) |
| Categories: | Landscape / Travel General |
| Geo Data: | Show Map Position |
| Tags: | Soberones point, garrapata, big sur, california, san francisco |
| Readers' Votes: | 218 |

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Rob


Hope your back clicking soon.
Regards Richard.

db

Sarah *

Great shot I hope the move goes well and look forward to seeing you online soon

BTW...Very nice photo for resting a case

Jouko
I just got an email stating that we may not have any internet access at all for at least a week after this Wednesday! I better get my EPZ fix now!
lol Jouko, we will see what happens! I may have to go to the nearest coffee house with my laptop if things get desperate!
Patrick


It's back to that disney-esque look.
jennn


Hi Keith, I have something more dramatic and 'alive' planned from this spot that you will probably like more. But I could not pull it off on this night! Stay tuned... but you may fall asleep because it may take me a year or more to get it!
Patrick



I´m so addicted to EPZ! LOL.......My Nokia found an open WLAN and time really flies then

Jouko

Jouko
Patrick


OK! Case closed! LOL......I understand! But that Rehab-thingy is something else!

Jouko


Hopefully, you'll be back online soon Patrick.
Martin


Di

Hope to see you back on line soon..
I want be on here as much myself ..start back to work this Thursday.

Also, on long exposure shots like this, wait for the ocean to calm down so that colour comes through and it is not so white that the water blows out from being too bright
This is where soooo many people get it 'wrong' for me - blown to bits! They end up with a lump of 'gunk' with 'burnt' blobs

Excellent, the detail in the rock is absolutely fascinating and the water is gorgeous
Beverley
I liked that too Martin.
I don't like the messy lumpy look either Beverly. This was a close call on that account and I was hoping to get longer exposures as it got darker but I got nailed by a wave that that was it for the evening! Big seas mean that longer exposure times are required to reduce the cotton effect.
Patrick

Peter


Malcolm


Paul
Seriously superb texture to the sea and waves, also textures and persepctive of rocks/scene..!!!
truly stunning... Good luck in the New Job..!
Nikki !
Love the colour retained in the water, most miss the mark doing long exposures and get it too white. Well done Patrick and hope your move at work goes smoothly!
Scotty
Yes Malcolm, I was going for the 3D effect with the light and where i put the arch in relation to the background. And with the long exposure too.
Well Nikki, GMT would be fine though my sunrise will be 14:30. I guess I could sleep in! I'm keeping Big Sur if the revolution comes...
I'll admit Scotty that my first attempt did blow out the water. So that is why I waited for a calm period, which in these rough waters does not happen very often or for very long.
Patrick


Best wishes
David

nice textures in the rocks too, pity there wasn't a bit more cloud around though, it's getting scarce in these parts now, will have to find something else to do for the summer.
the colour in the water and the fact you can see the bottom of the sea gives this a bit of a vertigo feel for me.


Sean

Don't need to say more than that I reckon.
Paul


Dot

Nick

I'm no100.
Stunning misty,3d,gorgeous,superbly lit,rugged rocks and arch,i'm getting a crane in my neck looking at this shot.Amazing.
Good luck in your knew job,don't be away too long if your connections down we'll miss you.
Take care,Ann


David and Sean, if I notice anything, I try to remember it so that nobody will have to make the mistakes that I make!
Yes, Terry, I tried to give an impression of depth to the water here. And the clouds are evaporating quickly now. Not much left!
Paul, if you had seen me hanging onto the rock while trying to get this shot, you would have been laughing instead!
Martin, so you're migrating from the mountains to the sea? I looks forward to seeing what you find, once I get a chance.
LOL Ann, sorry about the neck!
And the best to you too John (johnjrp)
Patrick


Hope you are not away for too long

gill
I do like misty water effects as much as the next person, but I can't help feeling that this scene demands a faster shutter speed to catch the waves crashing on the rocks. I guess it's because the misty water evokes 'serenity' and the rocks evoke 'anything but serenity' (LOL). I think it's a bit of a mismatch in this context.
It's no reflection on the quality of the image nevertheless, and there is no faulting the technical execution of the shot.
Pete
EDIT: just read Keith's comment above (and your response) and I think we're all kind of on the same wavelength.



Yes Pete, I always try to get a short and long exposure from each location. On this evening, only the long ones were looking good, and the tide was not exactly right for the kind of waves I wanted to see.
Patrick


They said it all

Thank you for always telling us what are your gadgets and how you shot your images. It help a lot most especially for the beginners like me.
Dennis

and a beautiful composition and a Great explanation on the exposure. I hope your move goes well, I love this place.
Pauline.



I have to echo the comments of Keithh and Peedeephoto on this one.
Technically excellent, but (and despite your derring-do to get the shot!) compositionally I think it isn't up to your usual standard. It lacks a certain "oomph" and the straight-on view feels a little "flat."
I think Pete's comment about the shutter speed is well made in this particular case - a sense of energy and movement seems to be demanded by this location.
I'd love to see what else you shot here. And, assuming I'm not dead, I look forward to the night shot. (Please try to not fall off any rocks and drown when you shoot it
)I hope you're not out of touch for too long. Very remiss of your employers to not consider you when moving offices!
All the very best,
Bill
No problem Dennis. I've learned a lot here and I try to give it back where I can.
Yes Bill, this is one of 2 versions that I usually shoot from a location. One with a long exposure and one that is shorter with some good wave action. You will probably like the shorter one. We will see. lol about the moving comment!
Patrick

Hope your internet problems are few and you manage some quality epz time soon
Mari
Patrick


Nigel
I don't know Nigel, I could not get into EPZ until 8pm my time. A whole day without EPZ? I'm getting the shakes and the sweats already!
Patrick



Cheers, Jon

Well I don't see any imminent danger so I guess I have to let you off with the sarcastic comments on this one

Janet
LOL Janet, long exposures can be decieving. You don't see the size of the waves here and how I had to stay put while they raced by! I did get nailed after this one and gave it up for the night.
Patrick

Your pics are not only inspiring and awesome but we learn a lot!Andrew
I'll probably be away from EPZ for at least another week or two so I'll catch up then.
Patrick
Mike
( back to the land of the living after India )

Am back after along time away. I saw this arch when going up the Big Sur, when coming back when the light was better I couldn't find it. You have done a brilliant job, this is an exceptional shot.
Tanya



Patrick
MikeA.


Another Awesome shot......Yep!
Have a great weekend,
Suz


Also, on long exposure shots like this, wait for the ocean to calm down so that colour comes through and it is not so white that the water blows out from being too bright.
Good tip! Thanks

And a lovely shot too!
Cheers, Goggz

Time to wake up in California.....


Ted

A narrow DOF Mike? Perhaps. I'd have to experiment, though I could do it a bit in PS.
True Steve (Ameythst_Imagery), there are lots fo ways to go with the smoothing. I'll have to check out that program.
Well Megzie, I've been so busy that I've had no time to be here, and the daytime connection I used to use is very slow now. And then I got a Border Collie, who is totally insane and needs 2+ hours of intense running per day. I'm fine though but overworked so a nice trip to Maui is in the offing!
Thanks Ted.
I snuck it by you Annette!
Patrick

Georg



Thomas

































