California wave

How to pre-visualize an image and then achieve the result is something I often teach during my workshops. There is no better example than when photographing water. In this situation, the crashing waves offered the opportunity to create a dramatic image. While the Sun was fairly low on the horizon, I kept it out of the frame to avoid a quality exposure that would be impossible to achieve in one single image. The triangle created by the two rocks and the reflection of the sun was fairly straightforward to compose but the timing of the crashing wave is what makes the photograph. Letting of a quick burst of images let me capture the water exactly where I wanted it (to cover the area between the rock on the right and the reflection of the Sun). 


Nikon D800e, iso 200, f/16, 1/500 sec.