Behind the Scenes at Downs Park
Sometimes to get a good shot you have to get a little dirty. In the end the shots are worth it. I've become used to coming home sandy and messy. I have to be honest and say that usually the messier I am the better the shots are. Last night was no exception. I was soaked to my knees, covered in sand and mud and feeling pretty scratchy by the time the Park Rangers reminded us we had to leave.
So I had the pleasure of getting this dirty at Downs Park in Pasadena, MD. Great park, I really look forward to visiting again. At first at the fishing pier I was a little uninspired. There were cool rocks but I'd have to shoot down at them. The pier was nice but full of people. It was also pretty windy. I don't have any share worthy shots from the pier but I have a few I'm happy with when we moved onto the Dog Beach.
Sometimes there is a moment when I notice something that I need to photograph. On this particular night it was a long stick crashing in the waves. I asked a friend to hold my camera and went in for the stick. This is where the wet and messy began. Definitely worth it because this was the best stick I had seen in a while, it had great curves. So I grabbed my camera and set off down the beach. I position the stick in the sand as if it was slithering into the water then took a couple shots. Although this is a nice photo, I wasn't completely happy with it. I pulled out my Lee Big Stopper, a 10 stop neutral density filter and began taking long exposures of the same composition. The final shot is pretty dramatic.
The long shutter speed does wonders especially with nice clouds. The water becomes nice and smooth and you catch the dramatic movement in the clouds. The Lee Big Stopper is a very fun piece of equipment.
Here are a few of my other favorites from the night. -Jen
