Poipu Sunrise.

[dankearl]

South shore of Kauai pre dawn.

8 stop ND filter, 25 sec. exposure, iso100, f11, D800

DSC_0464bp5.jpg

[David Stephens]

I love the pastel colors. I think I'd prefer a shorter SS, to still soften the waves, but sharpen the clouds, which apparently were moving pretty fast.

[Chris Ober]

I agree with David. The blurred clouds don't do it for me but I love the coloring. Good amount of rocks in foreground to anchor it. Maybe bit more contrast?

[Diane Miller]

I love the waves washing up on the rocks -- wish there were more at the bottom. Would be nice to see a composite with a shorter SS for the clouds. I'm not fond of the leaning buildings -- wonder if the shoreline could be rendered as a silhouette?

[dankearl]

I thought about silhouetting the peninsula but left it alone.
If you go for exaggerated unreal water you have to match with the cloud movement, it would look
really weird if you had one and not the other.
This is how it felt to me in the predawn.

[Diane Miller]

But the clouds could have been moving slower (or faster) than they were -- there's no way for a viewer to judge what is correctly matched.

When I've gotten cloud movement in slow-shutter exposures I've often found it looking a bit awkward, in that less or more seemed like it would be preferable. Just a thought, as it wouldn't be a difficult thing to control if someone was so inclined.

[dankearl]

I understand your point Diane, but that would have been two separate photos combined which I know is done all the time
in Landscape. This was a single exposure capturing what was happening at the time. I really don't know what the cut off for
manipulation is in Landscape photography, maybe none?
Just look at 500px, 90% is completely manipulated, not that there is anything wrong with it. I actually know don't?
Is Focus stacking manipulating? Yes but at least you are not changing the image you are viewing.
It would be as interesting discussion in the discussion forum.
I am not sure there are any ethics in the digital age except it should be disclosed but it is not in most cases.

[Barry Ekstrand]

The more I look at it the more I like it, cloud blur included. Makes me wish I was there, now I yearn for a Puka Dog!

Barry

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Dan, I think the water and cloud movement works fine for my tastes. You are capturing the passage of time in a single photograph and this is what the result was...I like it. I do wish for more on the bottom and might try an alternate with the peninsula in silhouette...alternately I would have composed a few frames of just water, cloud and the foreground rocks for an anchor...any chance you photographed a few like that?