The hardest part of long exposure shooting is predicting the weather. I'm constantly looking at weather forecasts, watching the cloud cover on satellite maps, and hoping that when I drive half an hour south the sky will somewhat resemble what I'm seeing out my window at home. I prefer shooting sunsets compared to sunrise because you can watch the weather develop as the day progresses. Is that rain storm going to clear out in time for sunset, and leave behind some nice fluffy clouds to reflect color? Is that fog bank on the horizon going to obscure the sun too soon and sap all the brilliance out of the evening?
One early April afternoon with no clouds to speak of for most of the day, a few started to roll in just around 6pm, and I grabbed my camera for a chance to capture it! Sunset was around 7:30pm so I had time to find a spot, shoot away, and perhaps find a second location before all the color was gone. First I visited Hazard Rock off Ocean Road in Narragansett. There are three public access point to some large bluffs that meet the waters edge and face an open ocean on the horizon: Hazard Rock Road, Newton Ave, and Bass Rock Road.
There were too many people at Bass Rock, my preferred spot of the three, so I moved over to Newton. No inspiration compositions and a low tide here meant a last try at Hazard Rock. The clouds were few and far between but just enough to help liven up the frame. I captured a few images before deciding to try Narragansett Beach and the exposed pilons near the north end. The low tide would be perfect for such a shot, so hurrying to pack my gear and drive the five minutes up the road, I ran across the sand and set up for a shot just as the sun was setting. The image below was the second frame I captured and it felt perfect. A few more shots just for grins and I was packing up for the day.
I think I'm getting a bit better as this weather forecasting bit.
www.catebrownphoto.com for Fine Art Prints
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