Golden Shine of an Akaroan Sunrise

[Octane]

This was the very first picture I made on my trip. It was made at the beautiful and idyllic old French town of Akaroa on the south island's east coast. This little town is an absolute gem of a place, and, I actively encourage anyone going to New Zealand to spend a little time there, at least. Then, after a day of sightseeing (perhaps a dolphin watching cruise?), go and eat at the fish and chips shop on the main strip. They do great fush'n'chups.

You may note the crest of the incoming waves, especially towards centre-left, lapping gently upon the shore, but, note also how the water becomes calm the further you go out? This assisted me in maintaining crispness in the boats docked towards the left-hand side of the composition during this 2 second exposure. The lapping waves also gives the image some fluid dynamic which is matched by the motion of the clouds.

Inspired by Ulrich Schnauss' timeless music.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
2s f/16.0 at 17.0mm iso100

Slightly larger version found here (http://users.tpg.com.au/octane2/gsoaas.html).

Comments and critique most welcome.

Regards,
Humayun

[Phil]

Great shot love the colour. How do you find the 17-40mm lens. I have the same lens and love it. It is one of my most used lenses.
Phil

[troypiggo]

I'm loving these little treats of images you're posting every day or so. Please tell me you have more... :)

[gary]

Hi Humayun,

Nice shot. Are they coloured stones or sea shells or a bit of both?
A bit like the Jewel Box. :)

Best Regards

Gary

[JD2439975]

The coloured stones came as a bit of a shock when first opening the image, they really draw the eye.

[Tilt]

Sensational.

This image and your inspiration.

Michael

[BerrieK]

Oh wow.

The balance of the foreground , middle and sky are perfect.

The colous in the rocks (?shells) look like a beautiful sea of opals, almost like reflections of the sky on white stones.

Thanks for sharing.

Kerrie

[Octane]

Phil,

Thanks, mate.

To be honest, I'm really enjoying the 17-40mm. It does suffer from barrel distortion, however, this is easily fixed using the supplied software or in Photoshop. Vignetting is no longer an issue, thanks to Peripheral Illumination Correction which works brilliantly. I found myself turning Peripheral Illumination Correction off for most shots, as I don't mind having the edges darkened, especially when the subject demands attention brought towards the centre. The lens does also get rather soft at the extreme edges. Having said that, shooting with a full frame sensor, there is a lot of flexibility in being able to crop. A little sharpening does help, but, I've not found it to be too much of a hassle, just yet.

Once I have the funds, I will upgrade to the 16-35mm f/2.8L II.



Troy,

Thank you so much. :) I do have a couple more. :)



Gary,

They are all seashells. There's so much colour variation in them all, too. Looks wonderful in print. :)



Justin,

D'oh! I suppose at the resolution that I've supplied, the shells look like stones. Believe you me, they are actually all shells. :)



Michael,

Thank you! And, wow, you know of Ulrich Schnauss? I've been listening to his stuff since he first released Far Away Trains Passing By, back in 2001. I find myself going to sleep listening to and waking up to Schnauss, Schulze, Laswell, Namlook, and a few others. I don't think I've heard a more beautiful song than Schnauss' Goodbye (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf-dXcBcoHo&fmt=18). Wow. Just wow.



Kerrie,

I'm glad you find the balance in this image. Just imagine being there in person and seeing this stunning display of light. I don't think there was a better way to start the trip.

And, yes, they're shells.



Regards,
Humayun

[matt]

Very nice, H.

I'll be at Akaroa on Day 2 of my upcoming trip.

Your image really whets my appetite for what's ahead.

What time of day was this image captured?

[Octane]

Hi Matt,

Thank you, sir. :)

You're going to love it!

Sunrise, as per the title. :)

Dress warm, it's going to be freezing cold when you're there. Especially when you go to Milford and Doubtful Sounds. Don't underestimate how darn cold it gets on the boat!

Regards,
Humayun

[matt]

Sorry mate. Completely missed the reference to sunrise in the title:lol:

I did a big shop at Snowgum the other week. Stocked up on thermals, polar fleece...new wind/rain resistant jacket etc etc

So...definitely turning up prepared for the conditions. Have done my howework and research, matey:thumbsup:

[Tilt]

Yep, I love Ulrich Schnauss. I've only been listening to his stuff for a couple of years. I really like the track Nobodys Home, really reminds me of travel and being 12km above the earths surface somewhere. In fact, one trip I was making back from the United States was in the middle of the night and I was wide awake. For entertainment I just put on a bit of Urich Schnauss and watched a large thunderstorm outside over the Pacific, it was just sensational. No moon, stars overhead and lightning below.

Michael

[Octane]

Michael,

I can completely relate to that surreal moment on the plane. On my first trip overseas to Europe (going overseas when I was 5 doesn't count as it was on my parent's passport, and, NZ a couple of times is just over the water) I got upgraded to business class on Singapore Airlines. And, if that wasn't enough, when I woke up after sleeping on the flight I could see the glowing orange lights in crystal form of giant Indian cities below me and out to sea, lightning striking out over the ocean. It was surreal. :)

13 kilometres above the Earth, doing 1000+ km an hour, and witnessing a light show on the ground and in the sky. It's something I'll never forget.

Regards,
Humayun