Belmar Fishing Pier

Belmar Fishing Pier
Image © 2011/Denise Ippolito Photography

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Yesterday I went to the Belmar Fishing Pier to check out the surf, something I think many of us do at the Jersey Shore. I decided before I left the house that I would take a few shots of the pier with the cloudy sky, rough surf and high winds I might get something interesting. Since I never shot there before I wasn’t too sure how it would work out. I created the 3 image HDR above with my tripod splayed flat on the ground. I processed the images in Photomatix Pro (you can save 15% off the purchase price by using the code Birdsasart). Next I used Nik Color Efex (use the code BAA to save 15%) to add some Tonal contrast to the image. I used Topaz B&W Effects (check out my guest blog posts on Topaz’ site) to make the conversion and with a layer mask in Photoshop I revealed the color selectively to the pier and foreground. The moody sky was of interest but the bits of blue were distracting in my opinion and took away from the pier. By converting the sky to B&W I felt it added to the drama as a whole but didn’t allow for small color interruptions. The wind gusts were crazy yesterday but I think that the image came out pretty good. I will go back and shoot this location again, maybe on a calmer day with some early morning or late day color…


______________________________________________________________ denise ippolito


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16 Responses

  1. Ken Curtis says:
    January 14, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    Nicely done, Denise. I noticed the low camera position before I read the words, and think it was a good way to emphasize the height of the pier. Looks like a good place to return to in various weather conditions.


    Thanks Ken, appreciate the kind words. It does have a lot of possibilities :)
    denise

  2. Mary Stamper says:
    January 14, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    I like this a lot, Denise! Love the moody sky. And yes, a lot of times blue in the sky makes things look to “happy”. Sometimes black and white is just a better way to say things.


    Thanks Mary, I appreciate it :)
    denise

  3. Loren Charif says:
    January 14, 2012 at 2:08 pm

    Really conveys a sense of what the day was like; nicely done. I also like the vertical lines in a horizontal (landscape mode) image; many times that doesn’t work, but in this case it does beautifully.


    Thanks Loren, I originally shot this as a vertical but changed gears after seeing it in the back of my camera – I decided I wanted a bit more room on the sides.:)
    denise

  4. Steve Adkins says:
    January 14, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Great HDR Denise! I especially like the texture, reflections and FG piling shadows.


    Thanks Steve, I liked the reflections too :)
    denise

  6. Andrew McLachlan says:
    January 14, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    Denise, love this image. The comp and the HDR work is beautiful. I really like the color of the planking under the pier. :)


    Thanks Andrew, I liked the color under the pier too :)
    denise

  7. Peter Noyes says:
    January 14, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    Denise, What a fantastic picture! Most of us would never have thought to take that picture from that perspective. The clouds and lighting are fantastic. You were truly in the right place at the right time with the imagination to capture that picture from that perspective. Also, you had the ability to capture it perfectly. I can see no way to make a suggestion for improvement.
    Nicely Done,
    Pete


    Thanks so much Peter, I appreciate the kind words :)
    denise

  8. Debbi Koplen says:
    January 14, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    I love the effect of combining color and b&w. Super image, Denise!


    Thank you Debbi, much appreciated :)
    denise

  11. Dennis Bishop says:
    January 14, 2012 at 11:09 pm

    I looked at the image, thought it sure looks like interesting weather, and read the text. When I got to the part about Topaz B&W Effects, I reread it. I hadn’t noticed what you’d done to the sky. To me, that’s the mark of something well done. Everything worked together to tell what you wanted to say without the processing taking center stage.

    Great work with the vertical perspective and framing the underside of the pier. Looks like a great place to be creative.


    Thanks Dennis, I always appreciate hearing from you. The pier has some interest and I can’t wait to get back there and get another go at it :)
    denise

  12. Deb says:
    January 15, 2012 at 1:59 am

    Beautifully rendered Denise. I love the yellow colors on the underside of the pier, it creates a nice contrast against the sky and waves. The shadows running from the posts to the corner of the page add that perfect balance:)


    Thanks Deb, I appreciate it :)
    denise

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