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Trade Winds Buy!
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
The amazing quality of the light is what impressed me first when I witnessed this scene.
On this stretch of coastline on Isla Mujeres, the trade winds blow constantly, sending clouds and storms from Africa and keeping
temperatures moderate. These rocks were under the sand until hurricane Wilma scored a direct hit on this area with wind gusts
exceeding 200 mph. The newly exposed rocks were sharpened by the winds, so my legs got rather badly scratched up by the time
I arrived at this spot. In this photo, a tropical storm warning had just been issued and the winds were kicking up increasingly
large surf, but the storm turned and headed out to sea later that day.
I used the light to show the reflectivity and color of the water. Also, the light filtering through the cloud deck shows its layers. A
colorful sunrise is nice but this is more about the warm breeze blowing along the water and through the clouds. Fortunately the
sky opened up for just a minute. Most of the time, it was either overcast or too bright. Good even filtered light is usually best
when shooting towards the sun. Bright light and blues skies might be good for tourist brochures, but low warm light enhances
the mood of an image.
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
The amazing quality of the light is what impressed me first when I witnessed this scene.
On this stretch of coastline on Isla Mujeres, the trade winds blow constantly, sending clouds and storms from Africa and keeping
temperatures moderate. These rocks were under the sand until hurricane Wilma scored a direct hit on this area with wind gusts
exceeding 200 mph. The newly exposed rocks were sharpened by the winds, so my legs got rather badly scratched up by the time
I arrived at this spot. In this photo, a tropical storm warning had just been issued and the winds were kicking up increasingly
large surf, but the storm turned and headed out to sea later that day.
I used the light to show the reflectivity and color of the water. Also, the light filtering through the cloud deck shows its layers. A
colorful sunrise is nice but this is more about the warm breeze blowing along the water and through the clouds. Fortunately the
sky opened up for just a minute. Most of the time, it was either overcast or too bright. Good even filtered light is usually best
when shooting towards the sun. Bright light and blues skies might be good for tourist brochures, but low warm light enhances
the mood of an image.
| Isla Mujeres This is a small island located a few miles offshore from Cancun, Mexico. The pace of life is slow and the ocean is well lit and beautiful. Perfect for seascape photography. Every few years, a major hurricane strikes and created some truly rugged looking shoreline that contrasts to the long sandy beaches that exist on the more sheltered portions of the island. Go here for prints on metal, or canvas (24x36 and smaller) Go here for full-resolution downloads, low-cost photographic prints and framing of all images on this page. |
Pillars of the Past Buy!
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
A few days before I made this image, I noticed how the sun would soon be setting right behind this old eroded pier as the
summer solstice approached. So I returned to make a long exposure at sunset. (See “Exposed” on this page.) Before that
happened however, the light became quite dramatic so I went for a shorter exposure in order to show the light glistening on the
water and lighting up the clouds. It is good to arrive at a location with an open mind because you never know what to expect. I
try to see with an open mind and observe what elements attract the eye. In post processing, this image had an overwhelming
amount of color, so I had to de-saturate the sky in order to get back the details, which had become lost in blobs of bright orange.
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
A few days before I made this image, I noticed how the sun would soon be setting right behind this old eroded pier as the
summer solstice approached. So I returned to make a long exposure at sunset. (See “Exposed” on this page.) Before that
happened however, the light became quite dramatic so I went for a shorter exposure in order to show the light glistening on the
water and lighting up the clouds. It is good to arrive at a location with an open mind because you never know what to expect. I
try to see with an open mind and observe what elements attract the eye. In post processing, this image had an overwhelming
amount of color, so I had to de-saturate the sky in order to get back the details, which had become lost in blobs of bright orange.
Exposed Buy!
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
As mentioned above, in October of 2005, Hurricane Wilma scored a direct hit on this island with category 5 winds gusting over
200 miles per hour. Many beaches were stripped of their sand, revealing old features not seen in many years, like this old pier on
the north side of the island. I was told that before the hurricane, these pilings were under many feet of sand and that the beach
used to extend well past the last post seen here.
On the first day of my trip, the sun had set to the left of end of the pier, but I knew that over the next few days, the sun would
move a little to the right each day. (In landscape photography it pays to know how the natural world works, just as a bird
photographer must know the habits of the birds to get the best shots.) On the last day of my trip, the sun set right at the end
of the pier. I was ready and had an image in my head of what I hoped I could capture. Fortunately the sun dropped below the
clouds at the last minute and because visible right as the sun set. I had taken photographs on the previous evenings just in case
this evening turned out to be cloudy just to be on the safe side.
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
As mentioned above, in October of 2005, Hurricane Wilma scored a direct hit on this island with category 5 winds gusting over
200 miles per hour. Many beaches were stripped of their sand, revealing old features not seen in many years, like this old pier on
the north side of the island. I was told that before the hurricane, these pilings were under many feet of sand and that the beach
used to extend well past the last post seen here.
On the first day of my trip, the sun had set to the left of end of the pier, but I knew that over the next few days, the sun would
move a little to the right each day. (In landscape photography it pays to know how the natural world works, just as a bird
photographer must know the habits of the birds to get the best shots.) On the last day of my trip, the sun set right at the end
of the pier. I was ready and had an image in my head of what I hoped I could capture. Fortunately the sun dropped below the
clouds at the last minute and because visible right as the sun set. I had taken photographs on the previous evenings just in case
this evening turned out to be cloudy just to be on the safe side.
Swept Away Buy!
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
Similar image to 'Exposed, but with a diagonal perspective. Isla Mujeres is a small island just a few miles northeast of Cancun,
Mexico. I was told that before the hurricane, these pilings were under many feet of sand and that the beach extended well past
the last one seen here.
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Story:
Similar image to 'Exposed, but with a diagonal perspective. Isla Mujeres is a small island just a few miles northeast of Cancun,
Mexico. I was told that before the hurricane, these pilings were under many feet of sand and that the beach extended well past
the last one seen here.
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