Focus on Lee Filters – Peter Gordon #3 Slea Head – Co Kerry

The featured image below was shot by Peter Gordon on Coumeenoole beach on the Dingle Peninsula. IrishLight sometimes means no light, well at least to the untrained eye. There’s always a vast hiatus in understanding between photographer and general public in terms of light that makes a nice day for a picnic, and light that makes an interesting landscape image. Filters can play a huge part in in extracting the best from what can sometimes look like ordinary light to the untrained eye. Point in case below.

We love all sorts of landscape photography styles but high up on the agenda is simplicity. Lee filters become really useful in this regard as Peter often uses 3, 6 and 10 stop filters. this allows the photographer to create a long exposure to blur wave movement and help to create a simplified, layered interpretation of the seascape. A quicker exposure in the scene below would register shape and wave texture in the sea. The layered simple approach you see below would not be possible. In this instance Peter used a .9 soft graduated filter to keep the sky in check and a Little Stopper (6 stop ND) to a achieve an exposure of f11 at 20 seconds.

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From a compositional point of view the beach in question provides great opportunities . Theres some interesting rocks if you want strong foreground interest, some amazing views from up high looking down into the cove as well as this super clean sand for a minimal approach. Try to avoid the busy summer months and arrive at sunset, or on a moody day ,like above as the tide is on its way out with nice clean sand to play with.

IrishLight Festival

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