Uploads from Phill Monson, tagged ocean

Ancient Shores

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:10:19 -0700

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My second night out to the Giant’s Causeway was much better than the first weather wise. I had taken a few shots of this location then as the wind made for some really dramatic waves crashing, but the wind, spray and skies made for a pretty dull photo. Maybe that’s my armature coming out, but blaming it on the weather makes me feel better. I really liked this comp, and knew some sunset light would looks really nice if conditions were right. Luckily, they were! The wave is not as dramatic, but it was still big enough to draw attention, and catch some of the golden light being produced. I think one could spend a lifetime here, just capturing the amazing landscape. I know I could. Pretty sure I am now addicted to seascapes- they are challenging, yet incredibly fun to shoot. Thanks for looking!

Old Legends

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:20:05 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

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Possibly the most iconic location in Northern Ireland is the Giant’s Causeway, and for good reason! So many possibilities here for shooting, and took several opportunities to get out here. My first day I traveled straight here from the airport (minus a short nap to help the jet lag) and was pretty disappointed with the weather. High wind, rain and dull grey skies. Certainly not great conditions to shoot in. I figured I would wait it out a bit, but nearing sunset, it was apparent the conditions were not going to improve. I was able to make it back out two more times, this shot being from my last venture out, and was treated to some truly “nuclear” sunsets. This is one of my faves, but it came at a price – first, a huge gust of wind came from nowhere and blew over my camera. I thought things were fine, but then my lens starting making sounds like a Skrillix song, and I knew something was wrong. The focus ring is toast, but it still works, kind of… Next, as I was holding one of my GND filters, another wind gust came and pulled it right from my hands. I watched helplessly as it flew into the sea. Then, I realized that when my camera blew over that it also broke my hot shoe bubble level. Luckily I think the shot was worth it. Your thoughts?

So, the causeway then: a location full of over 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns caused by violent volcanic activity, then quickly cooled. ~or~ built by the Giant Finn McCool as a way to get to Scotland to battle another giant. I think I like the latter version of the origin better. PS: you can see the tip of Scotland in the far distance. Thanks for looking!

Light of Dunluce

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:09:05 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

Well, my trip is over- can't believe how fast the time flew by! This is from my first morning out to Dunluce Castle. Not sure I have seen a comp like this before with the outer wall, but that could be due to it being on a private farm I wasn't supposed to be on, but no bother :) Morning kept looking more and more promising, then when the sun peaked behind me and light up just the castle, I knew I had it in the bag. Be sure to let me know what you think! Thanks for looking.

La Jolla, Part II

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:05:32 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

The Rush

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:30:13 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

Gettin' the feet a little wet

Sneaker Wave

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:05:45 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

Continuing the Seascapes (which I am now obsessed with). La Jolla was everything I wanted it to be, and the sunset, despite not many clouds) gave a nice, warm glow. I waited for just the right moment here when a wave went over the shelf just as another wave crashed behind it (harder than it sounds, actually). Thanks for looking!

La Jolla

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:46:54 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

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Although I love the Southwest, the ocean is quickly becoming one of my favorite subjects to shoot. Thanks for looking!

Celtic Dreams

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:02:10 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

I got out to the Casuseway a few hours before sunset to scout out my locations, but got antsy waiting, so I decided to snap a few pics. Just before prime time sunset color, I decided to throw on my 10-stop ND filter to get some long exposure shots. This allowed for a misty water look, along with some nice cloud streaks. I may post the color version later, but for now I liked the BW version.

The Wishing Arch

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:12:02 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

One location I knew I had to hit was The Wishing Arch. Despite the size, it’s not that easy to find, and unless I accidentally stumbled upon it, I would have been out of luck. I knew the general location, and when I went to where I thought it was and asked some local guys about to go boogie boarding, they told me the only arch they know is about an hour drive the other direction. A little discouraged, I continued my hunt. I pulled into a scenic overlook parking lot, and as I contemplated the meaning of life looking over the Irish Sea, I looked down and saw the that the cliff below had similar features to the Arch I had seen in some other photos. Elated, I got back in the car, drove a little and pulled over. I had to hop a fence to land in some bushes that have 4 inch thorns , but it was worth it as I found what I was looking for (not even five minutes from said boogie boarders). Seriously, if you drove past, you would never even know this place existed, so I am glad for happy accidents for sure. Thanks for looking.

Off Irish Shores

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:38:55 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

Yes, another from the Causeway. This from my second venture out with a great sunset. I shot this just after the sun had gone down to get some nice cool tones, and longer exposure in the water to give it the misty look. I have a few more from the Causeway that I will be posting next week, but will post some other shots from my trip first.

These stones are anything but an even walkway, and it helps to pick your feet up when walking. I almost came to an early death this night as I tripped on one of the stones. As I was going down, luckily my other foot miraculously caught me and I avoided smashing my face in. As I thought about it, I probably would have taken a hit to the face over smashing my camera, though my lens did come to an unfortunate death a few days later as per a previous post. All in all, good times and some good light. Thanks for looking.

Big Bend

nobody@flickr.com (Phill Monson) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 08:21:17 -0700

Phill Monson posted a photo:

On my way to Ecola State Park on the Oregon Coast, I loved this "U" turn in the road and thought it would make for a good pano- unfortunately PS was unable to stitch it correctly and I thought it was a lost cause. I did some research and found an amazing photo stitching software called Arcsoft Panorama Pro- this has changed my life. Its nothing to jump up and down about- of course it would have been sweet to have some sunrays in the trees or some epic light, but it is what it is. I post this more as a triumph in stitching than for anything. If anyone is interested, I am making the transition over to 500px.com. (http://500px.com/phillmonsonphoto) seems to be a top-notch photo sharing site that is much more flexible. Feel free to come along and follow me there as I am not sure how much longer I will be doing the flickr thing. Thanks for looking!