A huge advantage of capturing landscape images close to home is that you can revisit locations again and again to better your chances of capturing stunning weather conditions. And that's exactly what Kevin Winter (@krwinterphotos) does with his trusty Nikon Z6 II.
This glorious seascape depicting sunrise over Whitby's West Pier is a byproduct of years of early-morning visits in search of jaw-dropping weather conditions and the fiery sky certainly delivered. Kevin used a Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S to frame the image, along with a Benro Mach3 tripod to steady the shot.
Kevin considers this the best sky he's captured over Whitby Harbor. He told me: "I'm passionate about capturing my local area throughout the seasons and Whitby has a number of fantastic compositions I keep returning to in the hope of improving on previous visits."
Seascapes are particularly prone to changing weather and strong winds, but despite Kevin having to work against the conditions on prior visits, this time he was able to enjoy an altogether milder affair. "I didn't have to deal with harsh winds or freezing temperatures," he explained. "Once my camera was set up the only slight challenge was holding the camera steady due to vibrations on the pier from the occasional dog walker."
The secret to his success is multiple visits – more than he can count! "I've lost track of the exact number of times I've photographed this spot. I often look at photos I've taken and see ways I could improve the shot. When I look at this image, I'm happy with the mood, the way I've handled the exposure in the sky and I love the colors and textures in the water."
Getting up for a sunset shoot is a real commitment. Kevin says he always arrives ahead of time, so he doesn't miss the best light. It's never a case of one and done, either, with time spent to 'work' the scene. "I arrived in Whitby 45 minutes before I captured this shot and captured a couple of iconic locations up the top of the west cliff before I noticed the sky improving. I rushed down the steps and spent around 30 minutes on the pier until I was confident I had the shot in the bag."
One of the best tripods is a landscape essential, but Kevin also uses a 3 Legged Thing Zelda L-bracket so he can quickly attach/detach his camera from his 3 Legged Thing AirHed Neo 2.0 head.
The image was processed in Adobe Lightroom. Kevin says: "I used a linear gradient at the bottom right to reduce the highlights and slightly cool the color temperature in the water. I also used some color-range masks in the sky to slightly warm the color-temperature."
Kevin's top tips for photographing seascapes...
"If you find a location you love, keep returning under different weather conditions and keep tweaking your composition, finding ways to improve it."
See more of Kevin's work by checking out his website and Facebook page.
Check out previous Photo of the Day images, and the stories behind them.
If you have an image you'd like us to consider for Photo of the Day, email it to us at digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com
Are you interested in capturing beautiful seascapes? Check out the best lenses for landscapes and learn how to plan the perfect landscape shoot.
