I’m looking down through maybe a foot of water. The tide is coming in, the water is calm with a few ripples as tiny wavelets lap against the sea wall on which I am standing. The sun is shining; sunlight is being reflected and refracted by the sea and strands of sunlight are piercing the water and tracing delicate lines that dance across the seabed.
There’s only one word for it – enchanting. All the elements combine to create something that is constantly evolving. It’s mesmerising. It’s a light show. It’s nature at its best. Every step I take changes the picture. Every image is unique.
It’s inspiring. Wow!
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What utterly stunning colours, well spotted.
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Thanks Paula. This was one of those unexpected gifts.
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Really nice, Andy! I can’t figure out how you get so many lines in your ripples, compared to what I get on the river. Could it be shutter speed faster than 1/100th of a second? Faster-moving water?Water moving in more directions? Deeper water? (My latest ripple photo was taken in water maybe six inches deep.) I’m going to keep taking ripple photos at least until I can get what you got!
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Thanks for your comments, Linda. In answer I think it is a combination of a multiplicity of factors. I was using a shutter speed of 1/2500 at F10. The ISO was wound up to 1000. I realized the ripples were fast moving and I was using a zoom at around 125mm so a fast shutter speed was essential to freeze the action. Other factors that came into play: I was about 20ft above the water which was (I am guessing) about a foot deep. I was shooting vertically but also facing the sun. The water was crystal clear and finely rippled. I don’t recall ever seeing something quite as remarkable as this before. I’ve photographed a stream near where we live trying to catch the ripples and never been happy with the results – maybe because I hadn’t increased the shutter speed as much as I needed. Hope that helps.
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Thanks for all this information, Andy. I probably have never shot ripples much faster than 1/100, and usually at ƒ13. I will experiment with high ISO and much faster shutter speed and see what I get. Now I sort of can’t wait to go try it!
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I’ll look forward to seeing the results, when you get the opportunity.
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It is inspiring, Andy…and those would make great jigsaw puzzles! Beautiful….
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Thanks Scott. They would make a nightmare of a jigsaw puzzle.
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You’re welcome…and yes, they would!
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So calming and your image totally captures the spirit of the day and scene below you. Very nice indeed.
The simple sights in nature are often the best 🙂
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Thanks Vicki. I agree absolutely with your comment that ‘the simple sights are often the best’. This could have been so easily missed if I hadn’t looked over the sea wall carefullly.
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These are beautiful. I love the way water transform everything over which it flows, but I especially like the way the river or streambed determines the final image. The shallow limestone makes water turquoise, or green; granite pebbles lead to a wholly different result. Crosscurrents make a difference, too. I once photographed slow, shallow water flowing around a point, and when all was said and done, the resulting ripples were square: it looked as though I’d photographed a box of caramels. It’s never the same — which is what makes photos like these so fascinating.
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Thanks Linda and well said. Water can have a transformative effect not only on what is below the surface but by distorting the world above its surface.
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This is a fascinating series, Andy. I would have taken scores of photos and I’m confident there would not be two alike. Nice work!
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Thanks Ken. Plenty of possibilities for sure, the seas is constantly on the move and the traces of light were fast moving.
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Particularly beautiful.
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Thanks very much Cedric, and welcome to my blog.
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Thanks very much Cedric, and welcome to my blog
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Your description of the experience is as enchanting as the images themselves – thank you for sharing this magic.
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Thank you so much. One of the joys of blogging is sharing experiences like this one.
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Yes it is inspiring! And I’m right there with you, thanks to the text. The fineness of the reflections, the evenness across the frame, and the warm but quiet palette are making lovely music together. Interesting that water is the element that so captivates you at this time, isn’t it?
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I had never lived close to the sea, in fact for over 40 years we lived about as far away from the sea as was possible in England! Now that we are closer, water has become a ‘new’ source of inspiration.
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Mesmerising images Andy. Would like to see these printed and framed as a triptych, they would look superb.
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Many thanks Simon. Thanks too for the suggestion – they would work well as a panel of three. We have a couple of competitions in our local camera club for panels of 3-5 prints, so maybe I will enter them next time round.
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