Fort Stevens at Dusk 08.07.11

A few posts ago I mentioned that I love to find new places to take pictures. At the same time, I love to go back to my favorite places and find something I have never seen before or see something in a new light. Whenever I go visit my dad in Astoria, Oregon I usually make at least one stop at Fort Stevens State Park near Warrenton and Hammond. This park is a favorite of mine because of the diversity within the park. There are ocean beaches, both populated and secluded, jettys, the Columbia River and wildlife viewing areas. The ocean beaches are where I am most drawn to because my favorite place on earth is on the beach. Tonight, however, I decided to go to the wildlife viewing area that is situated off of the Columbia River. I had hoped to capture the rays of light that were coming through the clouds on the drive to the park, but the light had changed when we arrived. 

I have to note here that I have the most wonderful family for so many reasons, but in particular when it comes to my photography. They are beyond patient as I find my shots and take a large amount of pictures in hopes of capturing what it is I want to capture. On this adventure my brother went with me and he let me do my thing and listened to me as I bounced ideas off of him. He has a great eye and I was grateful to have him along.

Now, the picture below has an insanely long exposure time and high aperture, which has been my theme lately. I was also playing around with leading lines after reading a post on Click it Up a Notch. My goal was to showcase the expansiveness of the space and to express the peacefulness of the water lapping against the shore. I manipulated the color levels a bit in post processing to add more detail to the shore line while maintaining the sky.

Settings: ISO 100, 2"5, f/18

"Some photographers take reality... and impose the domination of their own thought and spirit. Others come before reality more tenderly and a photograph to them is an instrument of love and revelation." - Ansel Adams