Lighthouse Park on a cloudy morning
The Great White Egret (Ardea Alba)
I spotted a dark background element, and then moved around till I could fill the frame with it. I took a spot meter reading for the white plume and placed it in Zone 8 (and added 1/2 extra stop). I wanted the whitest white to contrast with the background.
Canon 560 mm (400 2.8 ii and 1.5x Teleconverter) | f/4.0, ISO 160, 1/250 sec
Lighthouse Park is located in St Augustine just across the Lighthouse. This park has ample parking, shaded picnic tables under the oak trees, and a boat ramp. St Augustine Yacht Club is close by.
Satellite Map showing the location of the park in relation to the St Augustine Lighthhouse.
If you look towards the lighthouse, there are several vantage points from where you can see the historic lighthouse rising above the trees or framed by them. I used a Lee Filter Big-Stopper (10-Stop ND Filter) on a Canon 24mm Tilt-Shift lens for the image below. I made two images and stitched them. During the fifteen-second exposure, clouds and the trees moved to add movement that contrasted with the ever so still lighthouse and the road leading to it.
St Augustine Lighthouse seen from the boat ramp.
https://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/get-involved/about-mission-uvp/history/
Dog Walker at the Lighthouse Park: 6x12 Panorama
There is a beautiful fishing pier at the park.
Fifteen seconds long exposure, 6x12 panorama. Lee filter Big Stopper (10-Stop ND filter), and Soft ND graduated filter.
Twenty second long exposure, 6x12 panorama. Lee filter Big Stopper (10-Stop ND filter), and Soft ND graduated filter.
Two-image panorama. Lee filter Big Stopper (10-Stop ND filter), and Soft ND graduated filter on a 24-mm Tilt-Shift lens.
You can often see boats, kayaks, and canoes. These are conveniently located right next to the boat launch.
“Dinghy Racks for Registered Mooring Field Customers Only”
Lee filter Big Stopper (10-Stop ND filter), and Soft ND graduated filter on a 24-mm Tilt-Shift lens.
Two-image panorama using 24mm Tilt-Shift lens.
Twenty-second long exposure. I used Lee filter Big Stopper (10-Stop ND filter), and Soft ND graduated filter on 24mm Tilt-Shift lens.
Birds are happy here. They perch on structures in and around the water, watch over the fishermen, and look for food.
You can easily launch your next adventure here.
Or can take a break. (look at the name of the boat – the Stolen Child)
Be careful! Pirates abound! And, some even proudly fly their flag, even when in tatters!
And only park in the designated areas! I saw these two signs posted and wind was blowing. I used long exposure to capture the movement that stands in contrast to the stationary signs.
Fifteen second exposure. I used a Lee Big Stopper (10-stop ND)
Steadfast, serene, immovable, the same
Year after year, through all the silent night
Burns on forevermore that quenchless flame,
Shines on that inextinguishable light!
—The Lighthouse: Henry Longfellow