Ian Cambourne
December 2024 - Homebush Bay Wrecks
About the Image(s)
I was recently asked to provide some photos of the not so usual sights around Sydney. This sunrise image was taken at an area known as Homebush Bay, which is part of our Sydney Harbour waterway, but well away from the city centre. There are 3 or 4 derelict ships in this area that are just rotting away and being reclaimed by the mangroves. It is also one of the many photos that did not meet my personal approval list, so did not make the cut. But I still don't mind it. I can't easily put my hands on the original. Details are: Sony A850; Sigma 70-300 @ 70mm; ISO 100; F16; 6 seconds exposure and tripod mounted.
4 comments posted
Ian, I made a mistake this month by not checking your e-mail properly, so I thought we were having December off. Ooops!
Anyway, I think this boat and the mangrove trees is a fascinating subject - a bit like Noah's Ark gone wild. You have some nice light on the buildings in the back ground, but a bit less so on the boat which is rather dark. You could try brightening a bit more in Photoshop or Lightroom, but I think I would have tried a wider angle focal length to 'push' the boat a bit further back in the image and show some more of the skyline. Definitely a location worth re-visiting to get an image that does make your cut. Posted: 12/10/2024 09:04:05
Anyway, I think this boat and the mangrove trees is a fascinating subject - a bit like Noah's Ark gone wild. You have some nice light on the buildings in the back ground, but a bit less so on the boat which is rather dark. You could try brightening a bit more in Photoshop or Lightroom, but I think I would have tried a wider angle focal length to 'push' the boat a bit further back in the image and show some more of the skyline. Definitely a location worth re-visiting to get an image that does make your cut. Posted: 12/10/2024 09:04:05
No problem Gordon, you and the ladies can enjoy two months off.
Thanks for your comments. This location, while interesting, is also very difficult and challenging. There are more mangroves to the right, just out of frame. When they're included, this boat and its mangroves blend into the background and become quite hard to see. It's also very contrasty, being an absolute huge difference between highlights and shadows. There's also many distractions out of the frame to the left. So thinking about it now, I will approach it like a friend of mine does. I'll go there again in the coming months and take two separate images, one exposed for the highlights and one exposed for the shadows, then blend the two images together. Watch this space. Posted: 12/12/2024 03:32:39
Thanks for your comments. This location, while interesting, is also very difficult and challenging. There are more mangroves to the right, just out of frame. When they're included, this boat and its mangroves blend into the background and become quite hard to see. It's also very contrasty, being an absolute huge difference between highlights and shadows. There's also many distractions out of the frame to the left. So thinking about it now, I will approach it like a friend of mine does. I'll go there again in the coming months and take two separate images, one exposed for the highlights and one exposed for the shadows, then blend the two images together. Watch this space. Posted: 12/12/2024 03:32:39
Definitely the boat needs to be lightened. The skyline is perfect. Posted: 12/19/2024 21:12:54
Ian, a very interesting subject. Given the restrictions you had for this image, I'd go all in on the location. See my image attached. Keep the bow on the right third but use a square crop. Then use some dodging and burning, adjust levels, adjust a curve and make sure you also alter the reflection of the bow. This adds more depth to the image. Add texture or contrast to your liking (which I didn't do). With this crop you still have context with part of the skyline, and the mangroves as well as the bow of the ship are showcased. With a square crop, you can photograph each of the 4 ships and using a square crop have a nice set. Posted: 12/21/2024 14:33:46