PUMP HOUSE BEACON

Canon EOS Rebel XS, Promaster 19-35 lens @ 19mm, ND8, ND400, Polarizer, ISO 100, f/20, 60 sec

  I hope that everyone had a safe & wonderful Christmas. Mine was a wonderful time with both my family and my wife's family in West Tennessee. It was very short lived, however, due to my wife's work schedule.
  The day after Christmas my brother Jim and I took the small window of opportunity to go photog'ing.  We spent the morning at the Springville Pump House in Springville, TN. Even though I didn't get out of bed early enough to catch the early-early pre-dawn light, we still had a beautiful sunrise to catch some great reflections in the cove by the pump house.
  With a pretty still wind and partially overcast skies, I used the opportunity to get some long exposures by stacking my polarizer, ND8, and ND2-ND400 filters. This fixed buoy in the shallow area in front of boat ramp was begging to be the subject of our work that morning. This particular shot I visualized with the cloud movement converging directly behind the buoy and the three rocks in the foreground leading the eye to the buoy as well.
  My initial intent was to get some black and white images out of these long shutters but when I looked at this image in Elements, the blue sky and reflection on the water jumped out at me immediately especially with the long exposures flattening the water to enhance the reflection.
  One of the best things about the holidays is being with family. These occasions when Jim and I can get out together and take some photos are becoming highlights to those wonderful family times. Can't wait til we get together again.