Several months ago I started working on a new series, “Ebb & Flow” where I have my camera in a water housing and run around the shore line chasing waves as they crash on the beach. It’s super fun to experiment with different focal lengths, shutter speeds, panning directions and speeds. It’s helped me stay creative in this quarantine time.
Specific Feedback Requested:
For this particular image I personally like the little bit of sand in the LL corner but I also know what it is. For others who are just viewing it for the first time, does it add/subtract/indifferent to the image?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
.4sec shutter while panning perpendicular to the wave coming towards me.
Is this a composite? No
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For me, this is strong enough graphically that I don’t need color, and I think it’s better to have fewer realistic clues. I couldn’t tell the corner is sand or that the subject is waves. I can almost imagine a huge Midwest dust storm, or some other evil apparition.
@Igor_Doncov thanks as always for looking and taking the time to provide feedback. I do think your statement about ICM not working as well without color is a generalization and one I would have to disagree with. I don’t think color is what is missing, I think the rest of the story is missing. As a stand alone image maybe this one just doesn’t make sense (work) for you, when grouped with the rest of the series it may make more sense and “work”. Thanks for again for the feedback, keeping me on my toes and really making me use my brain.
@Diane_Miller Thanks for the comment and feedback, I appreciate it. to me that’s part of the enjoyment of shooting these abstract type images, they can be interpreted differently for each viewer. It’s a fun series, here are a few other images from it. https://www.andrewhertel.com/galleries/ebb-flow
Just out of curiosity, is this truly an ICM (ie you moved the housing during exposure), or is it an abstract created by long exposure on the wave action? Or both ?
I think the sand patch in the LLC plays an important role in defining the shape of the bottom “wave”, so I think it’s needed independent of what it is in real life. The darker tones in general play that role, both in the LLC and in the middle. The shapes here somewhat remind me of clouds and weather, it looks somewhat like virga.
Thanks @Ed_McGuirk, the answer to your question is both. I was panning the camera up as the waves were coming towards me and I used a shutter speed of 0.4 sec. Thanks so much for the feedback, I appreciate it. I left the sand in because I also thought helped with the shape and story. Now that you mentioned it do see what you are saying about the Virga.
