Stuart Hamon sets his sights on shooting stunning seascapes
during the golden hour
(Image credit: Stuart Hamon)
Stuart Hamon
Stuart is a landscape photographer based on the small island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. He picked up his first camera in 2012.
There has always been something magical about the sea. I am fortunate enough to live on the small island of Guernsey, so I’m surrounded by the ocean. It’s best to shoot seascapes during the golden hour. The light is more dramatic, and if you love to capture the silky movement in the water, then having less light will allow a slower shutter speed.
To get the right amount of movement in the waves, I usually use shutter speeds of around 1/8sec up to 2 seconds. Take a range of shots at different speeds and decide what looks best afterward. The benefits of shooting in the digital age are that you can experiment with settings without it costing you a small fortune.
First and foremost, you need a good tripod. I’m using the Nova Explora T5 Carbon Fibre, which is a lightweight yet tough tripod that’s relatively compact but goes large on load rating. I shoot with a Canon EOS R5 and always take an RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM and RF 70-200 F2.8L IS USM to cover most scenarios.
Ideally, you want to arrive an hour before sunset or sunrise and plan to shoot for an hour after sunrise/sunset. Don’t assume that because the sun is gone, the show is over! There are plenty of great opportunities in the ‘blue hour’, with the colours of the sky and the light changing by the minute
