One of the things that I love about photographing seascapes is the simplicity that can be found when the sea surrounds rocks, focusing attention on the form of those rocks with no other distractions. It is for this reason that I intentionally used the longest exposure I could (around 30 seconds) in order to smooth out the sea until it was featureless. The water was choppy - not dramatically rough, not serenely calm, just plain, boring choppy. The long exposure has helped create a feeling of calm and allowed the rocks to stand proud as natures-own sculpture.
After missing perhaps the most stunning sunset of the year so far last night, I headed out tonight although thick cloud covered the entire sky, in the hope it might again break before sunset. As I set up my equipment, the clouds thickened and darkened more and I knew a stunning sunset wasn't on the cards. As the rain began falling, I tried my best to keep it from hitting my filters, which were used to darken the sky and keep it looking as dramatic as possible. Although the sun was setting almost in front of me, the brightest light was actually coming from a small but relatively clear area of sky behind me to the left, softly illuminating the rocks. I got soaked, but it doesn't bother me one bit when I know I've got the shot.
A warning to anyone squeamish who might think of taking a look around there: There are rats everywhere! And bloody big ones to boot. Walking amongst the larger rocks on the shoreline, they unusually seemed to be everywhere. I'm not scared of rats myself and they didn't seem too interested in hanging around once they saw me but still, I know a few people who'd have been frozen with fear!
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