The wreck of The Sheraton

[Alastair]

It's been a lovely afternoon for a walk on the beach.. .



PS
The shallow depth of field is deliberate.. click on the photo to link to the photopage for a link to a larger version and details on the settings used..

PPS
Because someone always asks.. Canon 40D and Sigma 30mm 1.4 EX..

[Squirrel]

What a fantasticaly interesting image, the way the chaps painting mirrors the picture. Really captivating, keep finding my gaze drawn between his pic and yours.Brilliant!

[waddie]

tromendous picture mate....
may i ask what you are using
including lens
thanks

[Alastair]

I must have been psychic Waddie.. details already in the post beneath the photo!

[waddie]

dddooohhhhhh

[manutius]

stunning pic sir :D there is so much going on but not in a distracting way. superb. One day I will be lucky enough to master these techniques :D

[Alastair]

Thanks for the kind comments.. slightly more reef-related but taken just a few metres from the first shot..

[manutius]

nice one, are you using a polarizing filter to get through the water there?

[Alastair]

Yes, I'm using a circular polariser. It really helps control the reflections.

[manutius]

indeed it does. i was looking at a set of three filters on amazon but wasn't sure if they did what was claimed. this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-D40-D60-Resolution-Fluorescent/dp/B001BZF0J4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1256310297&sr=8-3 worth a look now i think

[Alastair]

Personally I wouldn't by filters from anyone that doesn't think it useful to list the diameter of the filter.. there's a wide variety of lens diameters and you want filters to fit the lens(es) that you use the most.

Filters are compatible with lenses, not cameras..

Filters you should have..

UV/haze filter - basically provide some protection to the front element from dust and scratches, and can cut out some of the haze in the air.. I don't always fit one as when shooting towards the sun they can cause some pretty bad flaring and I've almost always got a full-sized lens hood fitted if I haven't got a CP filter fitted. Get one to fit every lens you've got.
Circular polariser (CP) filter - cuts down (or can enhance depends what you want to do) reflections of polarised light (e.g. sunlight) from water and shiny surfaces. Can also make the sky and clouds look better. Get one for the lens you use the most.


Neutral density filters can also be useful for forcing a longer exposure, e.g. to blur water movemen (the soft water effect).. sometimes these are graduated (either with a hard or soft edge) so that you can place them against the horizon and balance a bright sky against a darker foreground for a better overall exposure.

You can also get linear polarisers, they work slightly differently and if you combine one with CP filter you get a very interesting variable ND filter that can produce some interesting long exposure effects.

Any good quality filter will cost quite a bit (think £50-60 upwards).. but there are plenty of good enough filters under £30. But there's no point putting a £10 filter on a £1,000 lens!

[Paul]

Love the 1st pic mate, very interesting addition to the landscape

[marcopolored]

The first pic is great, brilliant composition.

[manutius]

thanks for the info on the filters. I only have a "cheap" hama 52mm UV filter for my Nikkor 18-55mm and it does make a difference but wasn't sure if there were others for "general" photography worth a look. I'll look into the polarising filter as your results are excellent :D

[Reef bloke]

Loving it,loads of interest to draw the eye.