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Having been invited by Ray to a dawn seascape shoot to Ivo Rowe Pool at Coogee in the eastern suburbs of Sydney I got up around 4AM and eventually made my way over to Coogee for a 5:30AM start. It wasn't looking good to begin with (it was raining on the way) and after arriving, the other mad photogs and I did a bit of a reconnoitre and the signs weren't all that promising - the sky was filled with cloud (no colourful sunrise) and it was very windy with lots of seaspray, not to mention the light drizzle.

Just before sunrise we saw some gaps in the sky and the rain had stopped so it was on... Note to self: Ray had apparently decided to invite me to a swim!

This first image is a pre sunrise long exposure at 6:20AM


NIKON D90 + 17.0-50.0 mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm, 25 sec at f / 16, ISO 200

There was a nice river of "green stuff" - for Gerry - which I attempted to get a good composition of without a great deal of success


NIKON D90 + 17.0-50.0 mm f/2.8 @ 19 mm, 6 sec at f / 22, ISO 200

Finally about 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise we got some good breaks in the clouds and some colour in the sky - 6:55AM


NIKON D90 + 17.0-50.0 mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm, 1/15 sec at f / 22, ISO 200

About 40 minutes after sunrise @ 7:20AM and moments before my (and my poor D90's) dunking, after a large wave crashed and splashed over us - I ended up drenched from head to toe, luckily the camera seems to have survived relatively unscathed - time will tell - could be time to get that D7000


NIKON D90 + 8.0-16.0 mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 12 mm, 1/13 sec at f / 22, ISO 200

Thanks Ray for organising this

Props for your dedication to turn up at 0530. Since the sunrise is around 0645 I reckon you could turn up at 0610 and still be safe (unless you wanted super long exposures; inwhich case you could use the 10 stoppa).

This location is best when the tide is very high (above 1.3m) so that you can get some waves coming into the pool itself. Although there are many rocks and things you can use for composition when the tide is low.

Hope you had a plastic bag covering your camera (I have ordered an optech rain sleeve for mine).

Out of this series, #1 has the most potential I think. Perhaps more aggressive cropping to try and tighten it more.

Let me know when you are venturing out again. Would be great to restart the sunrise habit now that the timing of the sunrise is really ideal.

On second look, do you have other compositions for #3 (The sky is promising)

surenj wrote:This location is best when the tide is very high (above 1.3m) so that you can get some waves coming into the pool itself. Although there are many rocks and things you can use for composition when the tide is low.

I think the tide was pretty high - there were certainly waves going into the pool and it was getting higher all the time.

Hope you had a plastic bag covering your camera (I have ordered an optech rain sleeve for mine).

Pft... plastic bag for woosies I did use a shower cap to cover the lens when I was shooting upwind. But when I got super splashed at the end the camera got well and truly wet - I was taking a photo at the time ... Hopefully Ray got a good shot of the event for me

Did you do any immediate first aid to the camera? Wipe it off with fresh water perhaps?

surenj wrote:On second look, do you have other compositions for #3 (The sky is promising)

and I shot a few HDR brackets of this which I havn't done anything with yet.

Much better. I reckon the bracket with a smoother water in the foregorund may be a winner as well.

Hope the camera is OK Rodney. I like the last.
Didn't your mum tell you not to turn your back on the ocean?

For me #4 is the pick. I like the contrast between the hard vertical cliff face on the right and the soft foam of the sea on the left.

Don't try this at home boys and girls

after a large wave crashed and splashed over us - I ended up drenched from head to toe

Didn't your mum tell you not to turn your back on the ocean?

Made sure it was ringing in his ears after witnessing this episode

Sorry to hear that your camera went for a swim as well (D60 went for a swim whilst I was in Vanuatu).

Some nice work here, and extra kudo's for waking up early!

Jenno wrote:Don't try this at home boys and girls

For a 1.6 second exposure that looks very 'foamy'. Looks to be a very fast rogue wave or something? Was it part of a set??

For me #4 is the pick. I like the contrast between the hard vertical cliff face on the right and the soft foam of the sea on the left.

Same here!

I'll reply on this forum since I started one on the other one and it dumped my response grrr..

Remorhaz wrote:This first image is a pre sunrise long exposure at 6:20AM

This image might be suited to a BW conversion, its pretty grey and bland but a nice contrasty BW might bring it alive. That horizon is soo straight and sharp it hurts! nice one.

Remorhaz wrote:There was a nice river of "green stuff" - for Gerry - which I attempted to get a good composition of without a great deal of success

I don't mind this image, there is a nice layered effect with the composition that I could really grow to enjoy The horizon is a bit crooked and you have a few smudges due to water on the filter/lens. I do like the little rivult running through the image, nice touch. I think with justa added PP it could really pop. ATM, the green looks a bit nuclear, quite a hard thing to get the balance right on I find. I may have a crack on this one later if I get time.

I also like the last image, th euse of th epole makes it different, however its a bit too prominent, maybe half a step back or going to 8mm might have reduced its impact.

Remorhaz wrote:Note to self: Ray had apparently decided to invite me to a swim!

lol, Ray had me lined up for a slip 'n slip the other week - I see a pattern here

Remorhaz wrote:moments before my (and my poor D90's) dunking, after a large wave crashed and splashed over us - I ended up drenched from head to toe

I think we are gonna have to worry about you more than Suren now, as colin mentioned, always keep one eye on the surf and where evver possible do not turn you back on the biatch, she will do you over.

aim54x wrote:(D60 went for a swim whilst I was in Vanuatu).

surenj wrote:Let me know when you are venturing out again. Would be great to restart the sunrise habit now that the timing of the sunrise is really ideal.

yeah, this one originated over the other side of the fence - imo don't hesitate to pop another thread over here for joint session, its the only way you will get a decent turn out and usually you will get a few blow-ins if you post up.

A Diptych of Green stuff for Gerry