I’m sharing with you some lovely dusk images of Naples Pier, but I am also sharing with you a demonstration of how point of view can affect your photography and the drama of your images. When I approached the beach just north of Naples Pier one blustery evening in March, the clouds were gathering. They would either obstruct the sunset or set the sky on fire. Of course, I was hoping for the latter. As I emerged onto the beach in view of the historic pier, I first thought of a point of view on the dune, so the dune grasses would create a foreground and add something by showing the wind. Here is my first image.
Then, I walked closer to the pier to look for another point of view. I had recently read a tip in Don Smith’s photography blog about getting low to the ground, getting your knees dirty to look for an advantage in the low point of view. I was rewarded with my favorite image of the evening with this nice reflection of the pier in the wet sand.
While I was down there kneeling in the sand with my Nikon 14-24mm lens mounted on my D800, mounted on my sturdy tripod and my hair blowing every which way, I changed the camera angle so my frame recorded more sky. It was clear to me that these were going to be my best shots, as the sunset would be completely blocked by the clouds.
Often you don’t capture what you came for, as the weather has a mind of its own, but sometimes you get a little bonus — such as these “God rays.” A reminder to be both humble and thankful.
Blog: Cathy Kelly Photography 