Adventures from Behind the Glass

By the Sea, Deerfield Beach, FL 2013

Time and Tide Wait For No Man, Deerfield Beach, FL 2013

To create low light, dusk Seascapes such as these, you need: a.) patience, b.) a tripod), c.) a shutter release cable and d) bare feet. The patience is required to wait until just the right light, here, just after sunset. The tripod is a necessity to hold the camera steady to allow for a long exposure to capture the smooth motion of the ocean. The cable release adds an additional amount of steadiness when clicking the shutter. The bare feet are required because you will get wet, and you will sink into the sand as the tide ebbs and flows beneath you.

Here are some tips to avoid disaster, and hopefully capture a great image: a.) keep the camera strap around your neck in case somehow the camera becomes detached from the tripod (nothing worse than an SLR in sea water,) b.) aim one of the Tripod legs down towards the ocean so it remains somewhat steady as the surf comes in and goes out, c.) force the tripod legs deep into the sand (inevitably, it will still move with a big wave, but try to hold it down when that happens, d.) keep the shutter release cable high, (I lay it around my neck), so it won’t get wet dangling down, e.) pay attention to the waves in the background as well as the tide in the foreground to create a solid composition.

Do all of the above and you may come away with something great. Worse case scenario…there is no place better to find yourself as the sun sets on another day.