Sea stacks at sunset , Redwood NP, CA, USA
We had a wonderful time last week during our redwoods workshop. It was a really nice, fun group, with great camaraderie and lots of laughter, aided and abetted by the relaxed atmosphere at the fabulous Requa Inn. We got some fog, which is always a great complement to the forest scenes, and were also treated to a couple of beautiful sunsets along the coast.
This photograph is from a wild stretch of coast in Redwood National Park on Tuesday evening, when bands of clouds lit up just after the sun dropped below the horizon. Although I use both fast and slow shutter speeds in these situations, I always seem to like the effect of the slow shutter speeds better. This one was eight seconds, which was long enough to smooth out the water, but still retain a bit of texture. I can’t remember whether I used my four-stop or seven-stop neutral-density filter, but it was one of those.
Of course I made many more images, and I’ll post some of those when I can!
— Michael Frye
Related Posts: Back in the Redwood Country; Waves and Slow Shutter Speeds
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Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom 5: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.
I’ve been wondering how the Redwoods are doing during California’s 4-year drought.
I understand that they get something like half of their water from fog, which should help the lack of rain, but I haven’t heard how they’re actually doing.
Do you have the scoop?
Jeff, the redwoods themselves seem fine. This isn’t a great year for rhododendrons, which is probably due to the drought, or at least this year’s rainfall pattern – though last year was a great one for rhodies. This year there are also a lot of ferns turning brown.
I really can,t wait to get down there, but age is catching up to me, shoulder surgery soon so I will have to put a trip to the Redwoods off again. Maybe Yosemite in the Fall. Have you shot enough in the Redwoods to do a Photographers guide to the Redwoods? I really am enjoying the Yosmite guide.
Jon
I hope you do get to Yosemite or the redwoods soon Jon. While I know the Northern California coastal redwood area pretty well, I’m not sure I know it well enough to write a guide. It’s also doubtful that there would be a big enough market to make it worthwhile.