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I'm leaving for Kauai for 10 days starting this Friday, so this may be my last upload until I get back!
Pigeon Point is home to large numbers of Pelicans year round. It really should be called Pelican Point. I used a long exposure to define and accentuate the rock in the forground. I took shorter exposures right before this one, but they just did not look as good.
LOL - For those who don't like milky oceans, we use soy milk in California, so hopefully this will not make your stomach upset.
Details: 8 second exposure @F22 with ND grad 0.9 + 0.6
I finally broke down and bought the Canon 24-105L lens so I can have more reach for a shot like this one. I am really happy with it so far. This one is only at 28mm (unlike what I wrote below), but I took some at 65mm and above that have the high quality of the 17-40.
| Title: | Pigeon Point Evening |
| Username: | 
PatrickSmith |
| Uploaded: | 13 Nov 2006 - 3:39 PM |
| Camera: | Canon EOS 5D |
| Lens: | Canon 24-105L @65 |
| Recording media: | RAW ISO 50 |
| Tags: | General, Landscape / travel, Pigeon point california |
| Votes: | 232 |
Comments
. . I got to be first of many . . . have a good vacation Pat! . . .
Mike.W
Spot on composition Patrick.
Love the effect the long exposure has had on the water. Also like the positioning of the lighthouse.
Steven
-click-
another Milky Way Moses-shot from you...
Simply amazing! Hell of a shot to leave us mortals here with all this snow and freezing wind!
Jouko
Knew this was yours right away Patrick!
Excellent!!!
Love the wee 'Nike' tick coming from the light house.
Have a great holiday!
Scotty
good detail on tht little island Patrick, good colours and water exposure.
Outstanding photography Patrick. Love the composition, and the amazing sky.
Rg Tony
this is really beautiful, the light and the colours are so good
click
shane
Lovely Patrick, obviously yours from the thumbnail. What I like most about this [and there is lots to like] is the brightest part of the sky is sat behing the top of the lighthouse as if it's been illuminated by it - planned or accident??
Paul
Thanks for looking!
Thanks Mike, I'll bring the camera and fill up a few cards! Up at sunrise every day.
Sorry Jouko, it will be a little different than Finland. There is snow on the top of Mauna Kea but that is on another island. So I'll have to settle for tropical scenes I'm afraid!
Paul, it was just a happy co-incidence that these conditions appeared at this time. It was almost clear all day and only near sunset did a few clouds pass by, including the ones you mention.
Patrick
Very well composed with the f.g. rock balancing the pelican rock and the lighthouse. Nicely done and how appropriate to be taking an image of pelicans with a new L-series lens as in both instances there is a large bill involved (groan).
Nick
lol Patrick - you've just bought the 24-105 and I've just bought the 17-40! We're never satisfied with what we've got us photographers 
The 24-105 is a great lens - especially if you're travelling and just want to keep to one lens. Great also for when you're forced to shoot hand-held. The IS works a treat!
On to the picture. I know what you mean about long exposures and water. I often find myself wanting to use a shorter exposure but inevitably I end up going for the longer ones. I think exposures of less than a second are generally great for capturing some movement but still retaining detail in the water. After that the longer the better seems to be the rule.
The detail in the distant 'Pelican' rock looks amazing - would love to see it larger.
Have a great trip.
Mike
Have a good trip. A wonderful pic to leave us with to drool over.
Teresa
Thanks for your comments!
LOL - Nick, a major groan!
Mike, I have yet to hand-hold one but I'll have to try it out. And yes, this full sized version make the 1000 pixel version look bad. It definitely loses something in the translation. Probably the compression. Anywhere from 0.2-0.3 seconds seems to be the ideal exposure time for wave action. So I always try for that. If I can't get decent action, I intentionally will go for very smooth long exposures.
LOL Teresa!
True Victor. I was the only one here and it was a little eery watching this develop.
Jouko, you can come along if you want. It is a large house on a lot of land! And all the mangos and sunrise papayas you can eat right in the back yard. They are the best.
Patrick
Beautiful shot, great detail and light on the fg, that sky with those colours. The dreamy motion of the water also looks really nice
Sean
Have the big 30 click looks fab------click , hope you are well Pat.
Doug
A rich and delicious feast for the eyes. Good to see you've invested in the 24-105mm, Patrick. I have that lens, and although I tend to use the 16-35mm more often nowadays, there's no doubt the 24-105mm is a fine lens indeed. Have a wonderful time in...now where was it...(busy scrolls back up)...Kauai.
Holy mother.. this is one überly excellent piece of photography. Was actually surprised at the focal length you used, (65mm) looks a lot wider, but it certainly is beautiful. Keep up the good work.
Benedict
Thanks for looking in!
LOL - Chris, absolutely.
I know what you mean Ian, I'll probably always use the wider lens more. I actually got this lens because I wanted this exact shot and could not get it with the 17-40. I guess I can return the lens now?? Well, I have about 10 other ones planned but more with the wider lens.
Yes Benedict, it does look like a wider angle, but you should see what it would look like at 17. The lighthouse would be barely visible! But I did arrange things so that it looks like a wider angle shot. It took about 10 minutes of fussing around to do that.
Patrick
Beautiful as usual, Patrick. Looking forward to seeing something new from Kauai. Have a good break.
Colin
This is one cracking shot Mr Smith....you have the sea captured to perfection for me. The sky, light, rocks and lighthouse all combine so very well here...excellent stuff....and a super last upload before your trip to somewhere most of us can only dream of. Envious??? Me??? Not a bit (well maybe...just a little!!0
Have a good break Patrick. I assume you are taking all your photographic kit...look forward to viewing the results in due course, though why you want to visit one of the wettest spots on earth is beyond me!!!!
Gwyn
The effect of the long exposure adds atmosphere to this shot and there is superb detail in the fg and great sky too - another superb shot for your PF.
Mark.
Grrr! Grats on your new toy! ; )
I haven´t "dismounted" my Stigma 10-20 since I bought it last March! Imagine that! LOL.....Still those same dusts on CMOS here....LOL...
Jouko
Fantastic composition Patrick, I lovethe colours in that sky as well.
Pete
a lot of grads on there and such a clean shot the Digic 2 processor at its best....the shots great too, well composed and I'm pleased for you on your new acquisition of the lens.
The composition is spot on, the water effect is magical and the colours just blew me away
Mike
Lovely composed image.Love how you have identified the toned sky to coincide with the position of the lighthouse.
A superb image.
Tom.
The details and exposure is as always spot on with lots of details and motion that gives the shot so much more impact and intrest. The composition is fantastic and I love this one with the gold(ish) like colours in the sky. Well done mate and keep up the good work.
denka
It must be hard to go to Kauai, lots off nice details
Peter
Thanks for looking!
LOL - Jouko, you sure are grrrr'ing a lot lately! I actually have a dust spot INSIDE of my 17-40. Not sure what to do about it. Luckily it is in an out of the way place where it is not very noticeable and easily fixable.
Yes Colin, I hope I can get some good ones!
Thanks Gwyn, Yes part of it is the wettest spot on Earth but just a few miles away in the rain shadow, the grass is brown and dry for most of theyear, as it gets only about 10 inches of rain per year!
Kin, stacking a 0.6 and a 0.9 isn't a problem, except when you go out to 17-18 on the 17-40 or 24 on this lens. Then the edges get a little soft.
Yes, Peter. But I will suffer through it!
Patrick
Its all been said - a superlative addition to your excellent portfolio
Love the composition Patrick, a definite Cornifornia moment!
gill
Have a great vacation!
A wonderful seascape Patrick, marvellous composition, colours and lighting. You can even clearly make out the pelicans on the rock when viewed large
A stunning seascape, fantastic colours and lighting, just perfect.
Trish x
Your images viewed large are superb Patrick and this is no exception, excellent detail, light and comp
Mari 
Excellent, excellent work. Great image with plenty of impact.
Dan
Everything is just right-- an example of a great seascape-- and I love soy milk-- !
Jennnnnnnnn
the 24-205mm Since I use a 105mm macro a lot, is the 105 part of your lens the same-- -- Jennnnnnnn
me Grrrrring!??? LOL....
Grr! I never grr!
And I have ONE DEATH PIXEL on my 20D! Can you beat that!?? LOL...Seriously! After 35 000 lake shots it´s no wonder! LOL...
Jouko
Thanks for looking!
Well Jennnnnnnnn, it might be the same. I may have to get a macro next. But I do have my eyes on the 70-200 2.8L though....
Hey Jouko, sorry to hear about the dead pixel. No wonder you are growling today! That is why I was estimating that you may need at least 10-15 cameras in order to shoot just 2 shots from each lake in Finland! They will all wear out. I've had my 5D for 6 months now and I'm almost up to 1000 frames. Mostly test shots when I first got it.
Patrick
Hello Patrick.
Stunning as ever.! No idea why you go to somewhere else. Have you had them all? lol
Have a great time, Patrick.
Ciao ciao
Jan
I think it`s all been said,Patrick,like everything about this.
hayley
That's quality Patrick, a real stunner.
Have a great break.
Neak.
LOL...Yes, I remember your request a while ago...LOL....
"Savin Private Makkonen"....LOL....
"Dear Santa...Bring me a brand new Canon gear" : )
Jouko
Wonderful image Patrick, full of mystical light and mood, impressive work, Adrian
great camera work Patrick,your usual high standard,truly stunning .
Ian.
Patrick, another superb seascape. Thanks again for including the techie stuff.
Regarding what I didn't like about my last egret shot -- probably just frustration after shooting for hours in the wetlands and thinking about the "ones that got away."
-=Walter
Excellent work yet again Patrick! I particularly like the light and colour above the lighthouse and its reflection. Have a great trip, look forward to seeing more from your new lens on your return!
Sez
Thanks for looking!
LOL - Jan, I'm trying to follow in your footsteps!
Jouko, you're going to need a lot of gear to keep you supplied for those 300,000 shots! That's a whole sleigh full of cameras!
Walter, now I see. That would be really frustrating. But you did get some good ones.
Thanks Sez! Hopefully I'll get some decent ones to upload to EPZ.
Patrick
Just adding a 'click', and to say I continue to admire and learn so much from your photographs and detailed explanation of what you did/used to achieve them.
Aloha,
Jan
I'm trying to puzzle out where you were standing Pat as this has given me an idea for a shot, there is a shot within this one that i will try to get, if you cropped off the left side with the pelicans and associated rock thats the shot i am thinking of, although i can see that rock does balance the image. a nice shot all the same with a good sky and nice colours.
there is a little pull off where you can park the car and a very short hike to the cliff face where the path continues down to some rocks just a little way south of the lighthouse, i was there once but too late and the light was gone, is this where this shot was shot from?
Thanks for looking!
Thanks Jan, that is why I did it. I've learned from everybody here so I want to pass it on.
Hi Terry. Yes this was taken from where you can climb down the cliff face. It was a fairly high tide so I could only go so far but the higher tide allowed me to get these rocks while there were still wet and looking good. Another shot with the pelicans cropped out? Like this?
There are lots of shots here for sure!
Patrick
A definite WOW shot, Patrick...What a spectacular vision.....
Is this the same place where the lighthouse keepers' housing was made into a hostel?
I may be thinking of another place...
Anyways....Another piece for the gallery!
Viewed an aerial shot of the lighthouse before commenting, the cliffs are awesome looking down on them, very jagged....And just viewed your link to your cropped version, which is also very nice, almost like it better, but this is fantastic!!
Have a wonderful vacation....Aloha...
Suzan
The linked version Pat...can you remember what focal length you used?
i remember being there myself some time back, those rocks are slippery when wet.
oops... Terry, this one is at 28mm focal length and the portrait one was 65mm. That's what I get for putting one up at work without checking first!
Both are full frame and are not cropped.
Yes Suzan, this is the one and is now a fairly cheap place to stay. With options for shared bathrooms and the like. I'll bring you back a few good shots.. I hope!
Patrick
It's got all the ingredients for a perfect image... and a runaway success too, going by the scrolling down to the bottom to add my comment : )
Have a good trip..
Jeanie
Your beautiful images always take my breath away - you have such a great gift for seeing the potential - RESPECT!!!!
Hey Pat, the version you linked to is so much sharper, has this one suffered from compression?
Wow! Patrick this is absolutely wonderful ,fantastic colours and excellent lighting,great composition and brilliant timing on the water and very well presented,great work.
Mo.
Thanks for looking!
I'll try Jeanie... lol - It will be difficult but I'll make it through....
Terry, this one has more detail and did not compress as well as the other one. You should see what the uncompressed version looks like. You can see details on the pelicans. And sharp everywhere. This lens is great.
Patrick
I know I've missed a whole load of your work recently Patrick, I think it's because we both frequent EPZ at different times of day. Having said all this, it would have been hard not to notice this my friend as the shot is simply sublime, I only wish I was half as competent as you with landscapes.....Awesome work as always, best wishes and regards.....Ade
Don't really know what I can add that hasn't already been said, but I'll give it a go!! The foreground rocks are are beautifully detailed, as is the Pelican Rock itself (sounds better than Pigeon Rock or Point or whatever it's called!). The sky just tops off what is a marvellous image, and the long exposure has had a very calming effect on the sea.
There, for nothing more to add, I didn't do too bad!!.
Martin.
One more thing, enjoy your break and bring us some shots back to drool over.
another stunning image...love the long exposure and the milky sea....have a great vacation...
alex
excellent shot lovely scene.thanks for looking at my banana flower .eve.
Hi Patrick,
love the glow and colours in the sky,lighthouse,atmosphere,timing,amazing water,detail,texture and the way my eye jumps from place to place,looking at he reflected light,etc,magical composition.Take care.Ann
Sleigh full of good wishes for you and your wife....
Have a superb holiday!
ALOHA!
Jouko
You have clouds!!! Sorry I'm a bit late getting here Patrick. Your images continue to be an inspiration to the rest of us. I also like the image you linked to for Tepot. Have a great holiday, and I'm glad you like your new lens.
Nigel
Its a lovely light Patrick and the reflected twilight colours adds that little bit of magic to set your scene apart from other coastal landscapes.
Doug.
Patrick took me an hour to scroll down with all the comments left and well deserved as this is breath taking in every sense!
stay well
tonymarq
Lovely composition Patrick, like the way you have arranged the clouds to pull the eye to the lighthouse(lol). Enjoy your holiday, I start mine on Friday as well, expecting thunder storms again..good for the dramatic skies if not for a tan.
MikeA.
How could you not like this.
Excellent shot and an equally excellent portfolio.
Very much enjoyed reading your 'methods' section on your website the other day.A wealth of interesting and informative advice there.
Thanks for sharing.
Justin.
Thanks for your comments!
Ade, thanks for the kind words. I'll trade you some landscapes for some of your work!
Martin, I'll do my best. I have a bunch of shots planned for my trip. I know exactly where and when to take them. Hopefully nature will cooperate!
Aloha Jouko!
Thanks Nigel, it's a great lens. I've become so used to an extremely wide view so it will take a while to get used to it.
Sorry for the finger cramps Tony ..lol..
Have a great holiday too Mike (MikeA). Your skies are great back there. Not a cloud in the sky here once again. Where is the rainy season? Plenty in Kauai though.
Justin, thanks for giving me a review of the methods section. I can see that people look at it and even where the visitors come from, but I don't always know what they think about it. I'll add more to it later.
Patrick
Another good one.
At the end of September I was at Carmel & one evening we was out watching humpback whales in the bay from the shore, when the sky went dark & we was encircled by hundreds (literally) of circling pelicans. I managed to get a shot ot two, Alfred Hitchcocks "Birds" sprung to mind!
Wonderful detail in the foreground rocks and a wonderful sky to go with it. Nice one Patrick!
Mark
Absolutely stunning, Patrick! So sharp and well balanced exposure.
Ted
Outstanding work as always.I drink soy milk all the time so i am fine.Patrick thank you for the comment on the web site.Take care and have a great trip and yes i want to see a bird photo when you get back.
Nice one Patrick!
Waiting for the night expeditions?
Dave
Excellent shot Patrick and thanks for the tips. I am working on the sizing issue now and trying to find that happy medium, thats why I haven't been around. Still working on getting seen in the search engines also, that is a real pain. Give me a couple of more weeks and I should have things worked out. Talk to you later Sir, have a great week. Spot on! Click!!!
Greg
Thanks for looking!
Steve, those whales are amazing, aren't they? And 'the Birds' was filmed just north of there. Except they used seagulls and ravens I think. But Pelicans would have been more ominous I think.
LOL - John (yjjeep), I drink it too. A bird shot? Well, my longest lens goes out to 105 so maybe I'll get one the size of a few pixels. I've heard that Hawaiian birds are extremely difficult to capture, as they are extremely specialized and feed on plants deep in the forest. You can't put out bait in the hopes of attracting them. But I'll see what I can do!
Dave, I'm going to try some night shots for sure. The nice thing is that it will be warm while I do it. It depends on the moon and other light I suppose.
Watch out Greg, a website can suck up a LOT of time! But it will be worth it. I have not tried to market my site yet. I'm actually 'hiding' for now, until I am ready. I'd like to get some more material with the 5D before I try to make a 'first impression.' But people are discovering it through no efforts of my own. Anyway, I'll try to have a good time - LOL!
Patrick
Wonderful again Patrick! I love lighthouses and this is a great image of one...again a big picture with details to keep me looking for ages! Have a great holiday!
Hi Patrick..Superb colour and lighting..One more great shot to add to your great Pf...
Have a superb Holiday...
Don
Another superb landscape picture of yours. Thanks for the detail, make me understand on how you manage to create such a beautiful image.
Well done.
Cesie
Another jawdropper from you Patrick - what else can one say???
Nice one, Patrick! I really like the slate-like coloring of the ocean.
Enjoy your trip!
very strong landscape image again Patrick. I went to have a look at your first uploads on epz, now almost 2 years ago, and allthough they weren't anywhere near bad, the improvement - in such little time - is remarkable. You really have mastered this in a reasonably short time. Hat off for that.
Mind you, still want to see people in your photos though ;o)
not a big fan of soy milk, but i can live with it in this image. have a great trip
sten
absolutely gorgeous detail and lighting. love that golden sunset color.
Hope you're having a great vacation.....
Happy Maui Thanksgiving, P.....
Suse
Fabulous as usual, lighting is just magic and certaily has the midas touch. helen
Breathtakingly beautiful ...... love the contrast of colours from one side of the sky to the other and as for the milky ocean .... soya or otherwise ... lol .... it is very magical to me .... beautifully composed as ever ! Click*
Karen
wow wow been there a few times but never saw it this great well done
joe
Thanks for looking!
Joe, just get there at sunset and low tide on a stormy day. You won't regret it!
Patrick
Stunning shot Patrick. Wonderful colour, light and composition. Makes me look at my paltry attempts and want to cry - lol!
I love the water detail and textures captured in the rocks.
Tracy
I think you underrate yourself Tracy. And plus I work for many hours just to get one shot. I plan out everything. If you did what I do, you'd get shots like this I'm sure.
Patrick
You probably won't notice an extra click here or there but I've been catching up on what I've missed over the past few weeks. Nice to see you're continuing to keep the clickometer ticking over. In your case it's well deserved.
Iain
Thanks Derek.
I noticed Iain! I'll have to see what you've been up to as well. I've missed a lot too recently.
Patrick
LOL Jouko. You sure have fast fingers!!!!
(Or maybe slow fingers since it took 10 months for you to make a comment!)
Patrick
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