When Kathy & I want to really get away and relax, our favorite destination is the beach. And when we want to go to the beach, our favorite beach is Hilton Head Island, SC. We spent Labor Day Weekend there. With our house project rapidly nearing completion, and all the stuff that goes along with that, we knew that this would probably be the Last Hurrah for us for this year. I’ve used up just about all of my vacation time, and we’ve used up just about all of our vacation money, and what little we have left will probably be earmarked for furniture and stuff. It’s amazing how a new house tends to make all of your furniture obsolete!
I’ve taken some of my favorite photographs at Hilton Head, but after a while it gets a little tough to do something new. So I mostly stick to the tried and true and hope for some inspiration along the way. I typically like to shoot when the tide is out, as I can frequently find some sand textures and pools that add some interest. This time, it seemed that sunrise and sunset generally coincided with high tide, so I was left with fewer options. That, combined with an overriding need for sleep kept me in the bed for all mornings but one. And I did manage to get out one evening, which was a nice departure, as we usually head out for dinner just about the time the light is getting nice. So, with one sunrise and one sunset to work with, I don’t think I got anything I’ll be hanging on the wall, but it felt good to get out when I did.
I’m still putting the old 5D through its paces, and am convinced that it is working just fine. I just wanted to be as sure as I could be before I put it back in the pack in a backup role. The biggest surprise for me was how quickly I got dust on the sensor! With the automagical dust removal system of the newer Mark III I never have to worry about dust. But the combination of small apertures and no sensor cleaning means I’ll need to pay a little more attention.
I’m still working on Nova Scotia photos, too. So I’ll have a few things to post about coming up, even though my adventures may be on hiatus for a little while!
If there is one thing I wish Nikon would finally get right it would be the auto dust cleaning. It just doesn’t seem to work well for me. And since I am shooting landscapes at high apertures a lot, it is a real pain sometimes.
I really love the first image here. It captures some nice pastels and the tranquility at the beach. I have noticed the same about evening shoots. Why does the magic hour always seem to also ring dinner bells for non-photographers?
The dust cleaning in the new 5D is, for me at least, pretty magnificent. I’ve had it for a year and a half, have taken over 10,000 photos with it, and haven’t even used a blower on it. It has a few spots and would definitely benefit from a good cleaning, but nothing I can’t deal with. The original 5D is something of a dust magnet. I don’t know what the difference is, maybe coatings on the sensor, but it didn’t take long for it to end up with a bunch of spots. Only one real annoying one so far, and I’ll probably be able to blow it off.
That first photo is my favorite as well. As you said, it reflects the tranquility of mornings at the beach.
The magic hour rings dinner bells for me, too! One of the things we like the most about traveling is eating at our favorite restaurants and discovering new ones. We’re experimenting a bit with that balance and hope to mix it up a little more in the future. This is a tough time of the year, when sunset comes at dinner time. We’ll soon have plenty of time after it gets dark to go and have dinner. I like fall much better for that reason! 🙂
This set is gorgeous. I do like the beach and I do like the early morning and evening best when few people are about. This is a most inspirational set of pictures. With Spring and Summer coming on I might just have to go and shoot some beach myself.
Thanks, Cedric. I think it is the quiet of morning on the beach that inspires me. I highly recommend it!