This is an absolutely calming image with beautiful light.

nev: Thanks Redpen. I was late to the beach that morning and was fighting with the emerging light but managed to get a couple of shots i liked.

Good to see you resurface! And we are definitely not going to turn you away if you bring shots like this one. I like how the rocks hold the shot together.

nev: I have been hiding under a few rocks. cheers martin

This is lovely, Nev. I love the mist.

nev: Thanks Mary. I love what long shutter speeds does to waves.

It's about time, Neal!

At 73 seconds, I think I just became one with the sea!

nev: Yes well i have very few good excuses for my absence apart from not sitting in front of the computer of a night time. i will attempt to err my ways Ginnie.

Perfect...perhaps not the best word, but the one that first came to mind when this image painted itself on my screen.
What precision you have....I get the sense that 74 sec shutterspeed would not have worked so well!
Yes...the rocks, and the emphatic horizon, hold this vapour sea in place.

nev: Very kind of you Ray. i have a feeling 74 would have been touch and go too. teehee. cheers

I like the image ..BUT... at f29 you've lost most of the sharpness of your sensor/lens combo to diffraction. Hence nothing is really sharp in the image. Also, unless it was an experiment, i'm wondering why 73secs, since the water would be completely blurred at 2-3 seconds.

Did i say, I like the image?

nev: Stan you are right it was nearly an experiment at f29. Normally i would shoot these types of shots closer to f22 but i was doing what i could to deal with the increasing light and trying as much as i could to extend my shutterspeed. Photography for me is just as much about trying to capture a mood or sensation rather than being a historical record. Once you have had that shutter open for more than 60 seconds there is no turning back. 3 seconds doesn't come close. thanks for your thoughts Stan.

to quote Kath & Kim That's noice Nev.

nev: How very Aussie. Thanks kimmeee.

Soft and beautiful, really great management of shutterspeed ! Bravo !

nev: Thanks Zeb. Luckily the camera does most of the hard stuff.

Nice to see a post from you again... a very serene photo with really beautiful light... interesting choice of shutterspeed and apperture...

nev: hey minelmio. i had a very short period before the light was rubbish but i managed to get about 10 shots in. i was doing what i could to keep my shutter open for over a minute hence the f29.

This is a real gem Neal. Soothing, calming, gentle, lovely light beautiful simplicity. Always a treat when you post. Jose

nev: You are very kind Jose. I could say the same about when you post.

Don't really understand Stan's comment, not being a techno buff. On my Mamiya, f/29 would give me sharpness and detail, why wouldn't a digital 35mm not do the same? And if stan is right, then what aperture setting would give the equivilent sharpness and detail?

nev: I could not find the page i was looking for Jose but this one will do. http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001RUd
The page i was looking for gave details about specific lenses. if i was to worry too much about that i would never take photos especially with apertures past F11 or 16.

Surreal is an overused word but I think it applies here.

nev: that is exactly what i was trying to achieve Bill. thanks for your comment

I just love that beautiful diagonal line the crab ran accross the picture at the bottom. Something that Scot Staniforth could learn from.

Next I like the Stan/Pixelpixie discussion. I also wonder why 73 secs and why not 72 or 74?

OK, it is an excellent picture and I sigh deeply, because I have managed to keep myself from buying additional stuff - until now.

nev: I am not sure if the crab can blame some dodgey hair clippers like staniforth did. I have a feeling 72 would have been been fine but 74 ... i guess we will never know. Actually the shot before this had a shorter shutter but the clouds opened up a bit midway and made the shot over. You bought yourself a new springboks beanie louis.

Hey Neal, what a corker, just like the ones on your hat! lol.

Afraid Stan completely missed the entire point of the image and that is a deep shame. You needed that time to develope the subtle blur/blend in the sky and that near mirror finnish to the water only comes after 30 secs (I should know - I've spent 27 years trying to create this effect).

The image is striking and compositionally sweet. A beauty! mal

nev: I am not sure that aussie fashion is moving with the times Mal. i haven't seen a screw top wine hat yet. Maybe this is my opportunity for financial success.

I know i definitely don't need to preach to you mr moody from limbo about anything. cheers

p.s. I suspect that the reply for Louis is that you had a few pops at this shot with a cable release, you were using previous info and results to manually release the shutter, it just happened to be 73. I had a 73 telecaster so the number is fine with me! lol

nev: hehe. As you well know it is all black arts stuff Mal and Louis will not find the answers he is looking for until he joins the coven. The only fender i have owned is still attached to my car.

Lovely shot, Neal.
Coast-hugger stylee: I'll bet a B/W version would rock...

nev: Dave the mono tritone i did looked like rocks too it did give it more of a foreboding sense. cheers.

Magical feel to this one Neal.

nev: Thanks mexican chris. nice to see you back posting again too. will have to check your archive.

Good to have you back Neal and a fine extended exposure shot. Inspirational!!!

I must get myself an ND-4 soon and have a go at this. (Hope Mal doesn't read this coz I've been saying this for a while!)

nev: thanks for your kind words blackdog. dont worry about that mal fellow, he wont even notice or maybe he might teehee

Yeah yeah Blackdog! Get on with it! lol

nev: the more on the dark side the better.

Oh this is lovely - cool, serene, etherial

nev: thanks christopher for that

Love it Neal. I'm just itching to try something like this myself.

nev: Cheers Steve. I know you will perfect the technique very quickly when you take it up

Lovely shot!...I like Nev!

nev: cheers chacha

Really fantastic Nev... But would yp please explain me yor secret : how can you get a 73 sec shutterspeed ? Was-it by night or do you use some filter, or what else ? Thank you for teaching me.

nev: Roland i was using a nd400 filter which is a 9 stop filter. i think i may have been also using a polarizer (2 stops) and maybe even a 1 stop neutral density filter. I was late to the beach this morning and the Australian light is very harsh. You very often need to take these shots early morning or evening to get an even light. The nd400 filter is very dark and you can hardly see through it. You need long shutter speeds to get the right exposure. I used f29 so that i could keep the shutter open longer otherwise i would have used f22/f18. email me if you need some more details.

top shot nev,just do your own thing mate.stan has left me a few comments to.

nev: thanks mick i generally do.

I just like the calm minimal feel to this one. Dont care about the technicalities.

nev: thats what does it for me too nigel cheers.

absolutely stunning...love these time exposures. Such lovely soft tones

nev: It would be nice to live in the ethereal world for a while. cheers