Beavertail state park sits at the southern end of Jamestown, Rhode Island. It faces south towards the open sea. It is typical New England Rocky Coastline. I enjoy going there in the evening or when we expect to get large waves from an offshore hurricane. Depending on conditions, the sky can show all kinds of colors as the sun sets. It is the perfect place to play with exposure length, although as the light fades you have to constantly adjust your settings and hope to capture something special.

This photograph is from September 11, 2004 at 7:33 PM. F/f3.5, 1/8 sec, ISO 1000, -1 stop exposure compensation. Focal length 18mm. When I am there, I am "winging it". I look at the previous shots and modify to increase or decrease the exposure. As you know, waves come in sets, so I am shooting as rapidly as possible when the waves are coming in and then have a minute or two to change settings. It is not unusual for me to return with 5000 exposures. After a couple of passes I reduce these to around 1500 to 2000 shots and then pick a few that look promising.

I often get on site an hour before sunrise and look for where the waves are coming in, and where they are interestingly interacting with the rocks.. Once I pick a spot, I am committed for the evening, although I can often re-frame in the immediate area. A rising tide is best. I always get a few shots that are worthwhile, but even if I didn't the sound of the ocean always soothes the soul.