This long exposure photograph of Brighton Pier was taken on a cold December afternoon – the sun sets so far south at this time of year, allowing me to hide it behind the pier at the appropriate time to help control the exposure. This image would not of been possible in the warmer months.
Composition
I had decided not to include any immediate foreground on the shore to keep a clean & simple shot – which in turn lead to a simple decision on where to place the pier in the frame. The sea was just a constant block of colour – the sky was where all the interest was, so this is where I decided to bias the image, somewhat breaking the ‘rules’ by setting the horizon so low in the image but to my eye it works, with just enough sea included to allow the sun’s reflection to anchor the image.
Setup
The sunset was clearly going to be stunning so I set up as close as I could to the waterline without getting my feet wet – there were many people on the beach so being close was essential to avoid having other people walk through the frame during exposure. The tripod was pushed as firmly as I could into the shingle to prevent any movement. I shot for around an hour, waiting for the sun to get to that point where it was hidden behind the structure.
Equipment
To give the long exposure I had to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter. I use the Lee Big Stopper which reduces the light into the camera so much that the exposure time is increased by a whopping factor of 1,000 (i.e if the correct exposure without the filter is 1/000th of a second, it becomes a second with it attached). I also used a graduated ND filter on top of this which is dark at the top and totally transparent lower down. This allows to reduce the exposure of the sky (where all the light is).
Settings
The image was taken at f/11, for 25 seconds, at ISO 100, using a remote cable release to allow the camera to remain untouched during the entire exposure.
Purchase
Copies of this print are available via www.whitneyphotography.co.uk