Trebarwith Strand – Dawn
I took the following two shots on my first ever visit to Trebarwith Strand this week. The beach is a photographer’s dream and can be found on the north Cornish coast, not far from Tintagel. Another early start for me but I was rewarded once more for my effort, this time with the most beautiful sunrise. The sun was rising behind me but the colours thrown across the sky were fantastic.
I’ve posted two shots, both with different exposure times. The first shot had an exposure of just under 8 minutes made possible with the use of a Lee big stopper filter. The second shot had an exposure of just over a second. Both photographs were taken with a 0.9 hard graduated neutral density filter. Which do you prefer..? ;-)
24mm f/22 467 sec. ISO-100
24mm f/22 1.3 sec. ISO-100
Please note that these images are posted here at 1/8th their original resolution and in a heavily compressed jpeg format, introducing a slight halo effect and other artifacts not visible in the print which will be available from my new website, coming soon. ;-)
Cornwall Photographic 
Reblogged this on Tales of Africa.
September 26, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Thank you.
September 26, 2013 at 6:09 pm
Usually I like the more ‘natural’ look, ie. photo number two. But in this case I’m more drawn towards the first one :)
September 26, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Thank you. I couldn’t decide hence posting both pictures. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 6:10 pm
These are breathtaking…almost surreal in their beauty.
September 26, 2013 at 6:00 pm
Thank you Vivian. It really was a beautiful start to the day but that old rhyme ‘Red Sky in the Morning…’ turned out to be true and the rest of the day was a washout, but the incoming weather gave us a beautiful sunrise. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Both are beautiful but I prefer the second one. I like the cloud detail and the feeling of motion in the waves. – Great job!
September 26, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Thanks Neil.
September 26, 2013 at 6:12 pm
They are both gorgeous, Adrian…and absolutely so. I prefer the second photo, however, as it has the more natural flow and presence of the water…seems to be more alive to me. Your work is an inspiration, my friend……
September 26, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Thank you very much Scott. Really appreciate that. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Most welcome. :)
September 26, 2013 at 8:06 pm
I find it hard to choose between them. The first is more ethereal while the second comes across as more natural, but both look great!
September 26, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Thank you very much Johann!
September 26, 2013 at 7:42 pm
That’s a difficult choice – both are excellent! If I had to pick though, it would be the second one. I really like the look of the water motion, especially the wave coming over the rock in the midground.
September 26, 2013 at 6:38 pm
Thank you Brad!
September 26, 2013 at 7:43 pm
Hmmmmm decisions decisions ……. Picture 1 …. I love the light on the island in the distance, the calm white mist on the sea and tranquil sky. The pink sunrise enhances the whole picture. Picture 2 …. I love the motion in the water falling over the rocks and the clouds moving across the sky.
basically I can’t decide they both have stunning qualities….. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. ;)
September 26, 2013 at 6:52 pm
That’s OK Angi. I think I’d have to go with both. Which is why I guess I posted both. Like you I love the calm of the first image and also the movement of the water in the second. Both have a different mood and feel to them and I suppose both stand in their own right. Thanks for taking the time to comment. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 7:45 pm
you more than welcome :)
An angel, robed in spotless white,
Bent down and kissed the sleeping night.
Night woke to blush; the sprite was gone.
Man saw the blush and called it Dawn.
September 26, 2013 at 8:38 pm
:-)
September 26, 2013 at 8:53 pm
The first one but only just. Both are great images.
September 26, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Thanks Adrian.
September 26, 2013 at 7:45 pm
So hard to choose they are both good, well done.
September 26, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Thank you Trevor!
September 26, 2013 at 7:45 pm
They each express something different I think.
Both equally well. The first one is so still and magical, and the second has beautiful movement. I enjoy them each for their own sense of expression.
And the colors are divine!
September 26, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Thank you Karen. It was all very dynamic standing there on that rock with the tide flowing in either side. I’d set up for a long exposure and as the sky began to glow pink, I finished the first photo and then removed the big stopper to take advantage of the colour given the big stopper will often give quite a significant colour cast. As it turned out, I was able to adjust white balance successfully. Taking the photographs it was nice to be able to slow all of that movement and energy down but I have to say, I was thoroughly enjoying the crashing of the waves which incidentally, covered the rocks at one point and guess what, wet feet again. It seems to have become a feature of my beach shoots. ;-)
September 26, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Both photos are gorgeous but I would have to say that I prefer the second shot because the movement of the water is more natural :)
September 26, 2013 at 8:16 pm
Thank you Tracey!
September 26, 2013 at 8:53 pm
Both are really amazing. The colours are spectacular. The first one looks more like a painting. I actually prefer the second one. :)
September 26, 2013 at 8:24 pm
Thank you Sylvia! :)
September 26, 2013 at 8:53 pm
The second one for me. Not that the first one sucks, but the second one shows, for me, what the place is doing. The first one could be titled “smoke and rocks”.
September 26, 2013 at 8:50 pm
Thanks Emilio. I appreciate your comment!
September 26, 2013 at 8:54 pm
One question . . . does the Lee filter come with it’s own holder?
I was looking at them, and it was not clear (get it? it was not clear . . . nevermind).
Mainly, I like the idea of removing people from scenery . . . virtually, if not actually.
September 26, 2013 at 10:18 pm
I know what you mean Emilio. You can buy a Lee filter holder kit that will take several 100mm filters at the same time.
September 27, 2013 at 12:56 pm
The color! STunning.
September 26, 2013 at 9:11 pm
Thank you Elena! :-)
September 26, 2013 at 9:54 pm
The detail of the second is truly wonderful! I am a cloud lover :)
September 26, 2013 at 9:13 pm
Thank you Marina. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 9:54 pm
A spectrum of subdued fire and ice .. Beautiful ChillB.
September 26, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Thank you very much Poppy. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Beautiful photo’s! Love the colors :-)
September 26, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Thank you Esmee! :-)
September 26, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Amazing! For just this once I seem to be with the majority. There’s a certain charm to the misty, foggy look in the first, but you may have noticed how I love the wave action which is sadly missing in the first shot. It could just as easily be a calm lake with mist hovering over the water. My vote definitely goes with #2.
September 26, 2013 at 9:29 pm
Thank you Gunta. I like the waves too but I also like the calm mood to the first. It’s interesting what a different mood you can create though with shutter speed. I will no doubt be posting a few more from this shoot with even more wave action. It really was quite rough and great to watch the water rushing up these channels worn centuries of wave action. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 9:58 pm
Hmmm, they certainly are different. The first is so quiet, but I tend to like the more “natural” ones. Chillbrook, I don’t know….
September 26, 2013 at 9:46 pm
Thanks Bente. :-)
September 26, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Both beautiful pics. The second is my preference
September 26, 2013 at 10:59 pm
Thank you Helene! :-)
September 27, 2013 at 12:57 pm
By a narrow margin, I prefer 2 over 1. The detail of the cloud and water wins me over.
September 27, 2013 at 12:56 am
I definitely like the second photo best. It has more texture & movement. The first image has lovely colours as well, but lacks that sensation of water moving.
September 27, 2013 at 1:28 am
Thanks for your comment Vicki. I’m taking note! :-)
September 27, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Oh my you do ask difficult questions. Both are beautiful, truly beautiful but if I have to pick it would be the first. I love what the 10 stop does to the water.
September 27, 2013 at 1:55 am
Thank you very much Edith. I’m partial to the effects of the 10 stop too. :-)
September 27, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Love them both!! I did find myself saying “Oh, wow” to the second one… The first one is definitely more dreamy : )
September 27, 2013 at 2:03 am
Thank you Anita. I quite like the dreamy feel of the first one but the textures are definitely stronger in the second.
September 27, 2013 at 5:48 pm
At first glance, the second photo. I love the motion of the water off the rocks and the detail of the clouds. But the first one is growing on me the more i look at it.
September 27, 2013 at 4:33 am
Thanks Beth. It’s probably an unfair question as each has its own merits I think and I think I could equally have posted each at different times. It’s interesting for me to read the different reactions however. Thanks for your comment.
September 27, 2013 at 5:50 pm
Two gorgeous images. Incredible colours and a stunning scenery. Although the first is really very dreamlike, I think I like the second one captured with a shorter shutter speed the better. I just like the more detailed structures of the water and waves.
September 27, 2013 at 8:34 am
Thank you Otto. A landscape photographer’s dream, Trebarwith Strand. I’m glad I found the place and will be returning many times I think. These wonderful rock formations that lead the eye into the picture could almost have been placed there purposefully. I too like the textures of the second but I also like the mood of the first. Thanks again for your comment.
September 27, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Difficult choice as they are both beautiful but if I really had to choose then the second juuuuust has it. I think it’s because the texture in the rocks and water work better together. In an ideal world I’d have the sky of the first with the water and rocks of the second!
September 27, 2013 at 8:47 am
Thanks Noeline.. I feel a little bit of a Photoshop session coming on.. ;-)
September 27, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Will you post it? It would be interesting to see what it turns out like …..
September 29, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Hi Noeleine, I may post the merged picture.. we’ll see. :-)
September 30, 2013 at 10:38 am
Gorgeous! Magnificent! Have a great weekend! Robyn
September 27, 2013 at 11:32 am
Thank you Robyn. I hope you have a lovely weekend too.
September 27, 2013 at 5:54 pm
Tough choice – both are very good
September 27, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Thank you. I couldn’t choose so should probably have posted both at different times but it’s been interesting to read people’s reactions.
September 27, 2013 at 5:55 pm
I like photos with long exposure but in this case I prefer the second photo. I just love the flow of the water in this case.
September 27, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Thank you Yvonne. The way the water flows either side of these rocks is quite unique and definitely worth trying to capture. I’ve a few more from this shoot to come. ;-)
September 27, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Thank you Yvonne! :-)
September 28, 2013 at 9:17 am
Both stunning. If I had to pick a favourite it would be the first shot.
September 27, 2013 at 3:13 pm
Thanks Simon. I think I’d go with the first too if I were pushed, simply for the mood of the picture and the softer edges.
September 27, 2013 at 5:57 pm
Outstanding Adrian! I’m particularly fond of the first image. Seriously well done.
September 27, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Thank you very much Phil. Really appreciate that. :-)
September 27, 2013 at 5:57 pm
They are both beautiful, but I prefer the second for the clouds and the flow water over the rocks. ‘Trebarwith’ was the name of the house I grew up in from birth to about 15yrs of age. It was named Trebarwith because that was the place my parents spent their Honeymoon in 1937. Furthermore as I sit writing this in our lounge, hanging above the fireplace is an orginal watercolour dated 1875 of Trebarwith. In the distance on the horizon – in precisely the same point in the frame – is the prominent rock seen in your image, the shape is unmistakeable. In the foreground are rocks not dissimilar to yours. The only difference is that also in the foreground are several donkeys sheltering close to the rocks. Presumably they were used by the fishermen to carry their catches. Isn’t it a small world, Adrian. I would love to be able to send you an image of the picture, but that may be difficult because it is of course behind glass.
September 27, 2013 at 7:15 pm
Thanks Andy. I’d love the see the picture. I learnt this week that my Dad had the best night’s fishing of his life at Trebarwith Strand, leaving my Mum back in the caravan they’d booked for the week, 8 and half months pregnant with my myself. Perhaps this explains my affinity with Cornwall. Who knows?
If you get a chance to visit Cornwall anytime soon, Trebarwith really is fantastic beach for photography. I know I’m going to be making many more visits over the coming months. I think it’ll be particularly spectacular in stormy weather.
September 27, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Wonderful, mystical shots. Two stunning photographs, similar in holding wonderful light and colors, yet also so different. While I usually am pretty biased toward shots with longer exposures, I would have to say I enjoy the texture, detail and a bit more emotion in the second photo quite a bit more. Absolutely fantastic shots.
September 28, 2013 at 1:48 am
Thank you Randall. I’ll certainly be experimenting a bit more with varying the shutter speed when I’m shooting on the beach like this. I do like the extra texture in the second shot but I also like the calmer mood of the first..
September 28, 2013 at 9:11 am
Great photos, lovely light and colours!
September 28, 2013 at 8:58 am
Thank you Hans!
September 28, 2013 at 9:11 am
woow impressive and beautiful
September 28, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Thank you very much Lou! :-)
September 28, 2013 at 9:24 pm
Extraordinary images both! And the fact that I had to keep scrolling and scrolling in order to leave this comment certainly attests to that!
October 1, 2013 at 1:54 am
Thank you! :-)
October 3, 2013 at 6:16 am
ohh these are absolutely stunning !!!
October 1, 2013 at 2:58 pm
Thank you very much!
October 3, 2013 at 6:16 am
Fabulous.
October 1, 2013 at 8:58 pm
Thank you Mike!
October 3, 2013 at 6:17 am
Wonderful. They reflect the coming dawn unto the earth, the growth of light slowly creeping towards Gaia and us in turn. I can only hope such prolific material continues to spring from your mind.
October 3, 2013 at 12:31 pm
Thank you very much! :-)
October 4, 2013 at 9:44 pm
now this hits the mark
October 14, 2013 at 6:06 pm
Thank you. That red sky was a real gift. It can be quite hard getting up and out by 4.30 in the morning but more often than not, you’re rewarded for the effort. This particular morning was one of those occasions when the rewards were particularly rich. So much of landscape photography is about being in the right place at the right time. I guess all we can do is put ourselves in the right place and hope the right time comes along while we’re waiting. :-)
October 14, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Reblogged this on sueshan123.
November 17, 2013 at 3:28 pm