Oceanic (Johanna Beach) © David B Simmonds

Time off from the normal routine is a great opportunity to get the camera out and experiment, discover new subjects or new angles on favourite places and subjects. One of mine is Johanna Beach. While I have lots of beautiful images of the beach, waves etc my current fascination is capturing the constant motion and energy of the ocean in a soft abstract treatment (think mystery, dreamy waterscapes, the unconscious realms).

So I’m using long exposures that run many minutes and a Neutral Density (ND) filter that will take off 5 stops of light. And if that’s not enough I add a ND4 to get as long an exposure as possible, shooting from late afternoon into dusk, hoping for good colour in the sky to mix into the reflections in the water.

So if you’re shooting this weekend: have fun, push out, try something new. Then take time out to edit right away while your inner vision is still bright and clear (don’t leave your images on your card or hard drive until the next long weekend!). Or if you think some one-on-one coaching would help you realise your vision for your images, why not book a session with me.