Rotoroa by Moonlight: Your Taxi Awaits

[Colin Southern]

16 Minutes @ F8 @ ISO 400 - Canon 1Ds3 - EF 16-35mm @ 16mm

[arith]

Yet another brilliant shot; I see a trail is that a star and how did you get the boat to stay still?

[Colin Southern]

And here's a cropped version ...

[Colin Southern]

Yet another brilliant shot; I see a trail is that a star and how did you get the boat to stay still?

Thanks Arith

I just spoke to it in a stern voice!

Nah seriously, not much wind - and although I didn't check, I assume it was secured to the pier pretty well.

[Donald]

I have voted. But, to be honest, we're splitting hairs.

You've put many images up here that we've all admired (and envied). But for me, this caps them all. This is stunning.

[Colin Southern]

I have voted. But, to be honest, we're splitting hairs.

You've put many images up here that we've all admired (and envied). But for me, this caps them all. This is stunning.

Thanks Donald

I guess that means I have to print it out on canvas an add it to the collection

[Keith]

Apart from 'stunning', I think a 'WOW' is the only way I can describe this photograph.

[Colin Southern]

Apart from 'stunning', I think a 'WOW' is the only way I can describe this photograph.

Thanks Keith - I'm glad it turned out OK - I was wearing shorts and got absolutely eaten alive by sandflies. Seriously, I would have killed a couple of dozen on several occasions with just a single slap of my hand on my leg, and there was a little cloud of them hanging around my camera bag. The area is known for them, but nothing like this - it was just rediculous!

[Jim B.]

Hi Colin,

A tough choice here.I like them both,but voted for #1.It presents a slightly different mood for me than the cropped version.Another truely outstanding photo.

[Steve H]

Nice one Colin,

Both great versions, at first I kind of preferred the second cropped version as it gave more detail and emphasis on the jetty but on second look I voted for the first (if that makes sense). I like the star/planet trails too - Venus?

Both are winners though - (thats what I want my stable tripod for).

And I feel your pain on the sandflies!

[JK6065]

Hi Colin
what a stunning shot (as always). You keep amazing me with the constant quality of your work. It shows me how much there's for me to learn .
But how do you always get your exposures so correct? Do you calculate it somehow or just out of experience?

[Colin Southern]

Hi Colin,

A tough choice here.I like them both,but voted for #1.It presents a slightly different mood for me than the cropped version.Another truely outstanding photo.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for that. I was leaning towards the cropped version, but I guess the "masses have spoken" and I'd better keep both versions!

[Colin Southern]

Nice one Colin,

Both great versions, at first I kind of preferred the second cropped version as it gave more detail and emphasis on the jetty but on second look I voted for the first (if that makes sense). I like the star/planet trails too - Venus?

Both are winners though - (thats what I want my stable tripod for).

And I feel your pain on the sandflies!

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the kind words

Not sure what the star/planet was - I'm a bit "challenged" in the astrology dept unfortunately

I have an alarm set for this morning to remind me to get some insect repellant to keep in my camer bag!

[Colin Southern]

Hi Colin
what a stunning shot (as always). You keep amazing me with the constant quality of your work. It shows me how much there's for me to learn .
But how do you always get your exposures so correct? Do you calculate it somehow or just out of experience?

Hi Jeroen,

Thanks for the kind words

I use a few techniques to get the exposure right, depending on the circumstance ...

- A light meter, but it's tricky when I'm using a variable ND filter as there's no way of knowing how much compensation to dial into the meter (it doesn't know I'm using a filter) (and in camera metering doesn't go past 30 seconds, unless I up the ISO and or aperture and work backwards).

- As per above, you can up the ISO or open the aperture - get a reading - and then double the exposure for every stop you close the aperture of 1/2 the ISO.

- Histogram - it basically shows a 5-Stop range, so if it stops 2 stops short of the right then it gives a good indication of how far I need to shift the exposure (also useful in conjunction with above).

There's quite a lot of lattitude with long exposures (ie if a 16 minute exposure is needed then - say - 12 to 20 minutes wouldn't make a lot of difference when shooting RAW).

The hardest thing is allowing for changing light (it can change a lot with a sunset over a 10 to 20 minute period) - not quite so bad with a moon shot, but clouds were obscuring the moon often as they passed by, so ultimately a fair bit of "good guess / fingers crossed".

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Colin,

Great capture (as usual).

I agree with Arith, you are lucky the boat isn't just a wobbly blur.

However, you disappointed me when you told me how you achieved it, I had visions of multiple flashes and pocket wizards, or painting it with flash light yourself running down the pier in dark clothing.

OK now I have that 'out of my system', I voted for the uncropped version too.
Why? - biggest single factor that may have influenced me is that the water is closer to a third (although I haven't measured it), that and the improved "openess" given by a more wrap around sky that gives the viewer more of a 'being there' feeling.

Cheers,

[Howard]

the uncropped.
The boat becomes too important in the cropped - and i strain to see what the outboards are

Howard

[Colin Southern]

the uncropped.
The boat becomes too important in the cropped - and i strain to see what the outboards are

Howard

Thanks Howard,

They're just crummy old Hondas ... of course if they had been Mercurys then I'd have to have used a long lens and zoomed right in!

Personally, I think both versions work "ok", although in my mind it does seem a pity to crop out most of the sky (which is what took all of the hard work).

I'll happily sell either

[Colin Southern]

Great capture (as usual).

Thanks Dave - good thing you only see the ones that worked

I agree with Arith, you are lucky the boat isn't just a wobbly blur.

A wee bit, perhaps. The clouds where whizzing by (so obviously strong winds aloft), but only the occasional breeze on the ground (probably sandfly "burps" from all my blood that they "dined on").

However, you disappointed me when you told me how you achieved it, I had visions of multiple flashes and pocket wizards, or painting it with flash light yourself running down the pier in dark clothing.

As great as Speedlites are, if takes more than 4 to expose the coast (takes about 25 minutes at around 20 knots to reach the head of the lake) (although it seems like a LOT more when the kids are nagging "are we there yet?" My 2nd Elinchrom Style RX1200 arrives next week - that might be a different story though! (thinking about it - in the bay that you can see I literally COULD have whizzed around it in my boat in the time of the exposure and hit it (repeatedly) with a couple of 1200 WS strobes from a portable generator!

OK now I have that 'out of my system', I voted for the uncropped version too.
Why? - biggest single factor that may have influenced me is that the water is closer to a third

Yes - but - with the cropped version the boat is 1/3 in from the right-hand side

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Colin,

good thing you only see the ones that worked

We can ALL say that my friend!

in the bay that you can see I literally COULD have whizzed around it in my boat in the time of the exposure

So, is that your boat?
Traded one light twin for another, eh?
Nice!

Yes - but - with the cropped version the boat is 1/3 in from the right-hand side

That's as may be, but with the two 'arrow heads' formed of the hills and their reflections pointing at it, it looks fine in the middle

[Colin Southern]

So, is that your boat?

Hi Dave,

No - that's the lake's water taxi (although I suspect that they'd make a lot more money selling insect repellant!).

I think my next boat will be a yacht - I like the idea of doing a solo around the world expedition! (Go Jessica!)