A not so gentle breeze.
This is a very beautiful (and early) sunrise in Castle Point, New Zealand. I was unable to scope out the area the previous day, so when first light hit, I groggily grabbed my gear and took the plunge into the cold pacific blue.
We went the ultra cheap route and stayed in a campground; one of those community kitchen deals with pay showers. To save even more kiwi dollars, we slept in our little economy rental car.
The wind was so strong when we arrived that the car was literally being tossed around. It was like some giant was violently shaking it back and forth. Drunk on self confidence, wanting to do some recon for the AM shoot, I cautiously made my way down to the waters edge.
As soon as I cleared the sheltered area, I was knocked almost completely off my feet. Hunched down against the windy onslaught, I battled my way back to car while being blown across the gravel floor. Come to find out, Castle Point is famous for their ridiculous wind. So much so that people die from it each year. Good to know…
Technical Mumbo Jumbo:
- Nikon D700 – Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8@ 14mm f/6.7 Iso: 100
- 7 Exposure Brackets (-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3)
- HDR Photography Processing & Tone Mapping using Photomatix Pro
- Post Processing & Color Correction in Photoshop
- Blended in parts of the Original Exposures
- Multiple Selective Color and Contrast Layers
- Enhanced detail with Nik Software Sharpener Pro
- Sharpened Edges with Topaz InFocus
- Applied A High Pass Filter (mostly on the water)
- Took the icy plunge
Castle Point At Sunrise
