Last week I read the latest ebook from David duChemin about landscape photography. Portraits of Earth is about how he came to view landscape photography much like his people photography. David deChemin, like so many of us, loves photography for its ability to keep both hemispheres of our brains active. Yet, he strives to emphasize it is not the gear but how you use the gear you have. For it does not matter if you own an iPhone or the most expensive camera in the world. It is how you SEE the world and how you USE the gear to translate what you see into a photograph.
In my landscape photography, I like to include human elements. The storm front which swept through North America last weekend gave me an opportunity to photograph Man’s continuing attempt to tame Nature.
Waves collide with the Oswego Harbor breakwall near the West Pierhead Lighthouse in Oswego, New York.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 2500, EV +0.3, 300mm focal length.
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The breakwall which protects the harbor of Oswego, New York used to be a wide, flat wall back in the late 1880’s. With technology, the West Pierhead Lighthouse no longer needed to be manned nor the breakwall maintained. The breakwall has since deteriorated with the constant battering of Lake Ontario waves. After the weather front passed through central New York, strong winds shifted out of the Northwest and created large swells on the lake. They hit and sprayed large amounts of water over the crumbling breakwall.
A setting Sun lights up the sky above the breakwall in the Oswego, New York harbor.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/40s, f/16, ISO 3200, EV +0.3, 72mm focal lengths.
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Nature in its fury often adds contrasting beauty in its wake. A setting Sun painted the sky about the scene of waves crashing into the breakwall. Adding pastel colors to the power of the wind and water.
Ah, but the photographer’s mind wants to show Nature is not all about tension with Man. A long exposure at dusk can turn the fury into a whisper.
Waves whisper over the Oswego Harbor breakwall during a long exposure photograph at dusk.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 3s, f/16, ISO 400, EV 0, 300mm focal length, tripod.
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Views Infinitum 
Beautiful stuff. You know, I’m just going to have to come to your house & look through your photos so you can send me the hi-def shots I can add to my Webshots. 🙂
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Anytime, my friend!
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I can´t see your photos….
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Well, it helps to complain, here they are, – and SO beautiful!
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Wonder what happened? Anyway, glad they finally came through and thank you for saying so, Birgitte!
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GoDaddy.com is having problems with their DNS servers. I use them via SmugMug to host my photos for this blog. If you do not see any photos when you visit, try refreshing your screen. If the photos still do not appear, come back later.
Sorry for the problems! Should be fixed soon!
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GoDaddy?!
More like BAD-Daddy to me. We want to see your photos!!!
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Back in business, Scott!
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When all the servers fall down and go boom at once, we will have to subscribe to printed postcards snail-mailed from our formerly-digital neighbors. It’ll be just like the old days . . . lighthouses and all. The first image has great energy as well as beauty. I like watching crashing waves from a distance.
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Egags…hand written notes? I don’t think anyone would understand me!
I hope you did not have any crashing trees last weekend when the storms came through, Gerry.
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