Photo Safari: Sunset at Venice Beach

I'd been looking forward all week to taking photos of the sunset at Venice Beach.

Boys running into the sunset surf

What I Learned

• Check your gear at least a day ahead of time
• Know what you need
• Know how your gear works and practice putting it together
• 3-Finger Rule
• Stretch your arm out and hold out your hand with fingers together
• However many fingers it is from the horizon to the sun, that's how much time until sunset
• 1 finger = 7 minutes
• Never feel bad about wanting to try new things
• New gear
• New angles and perspectives
• Still, it's okay to stick to the basics when you're learning
• Feel the moment

Kit

• Nikon D7200
• AF Nikkor 35mm f/2
• AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/3.5 (not used here)
• Benro soft .9 graduated neutral density (GND) filter, 100x150mm
• Benro GND filter fittings
• Really crappy tripod that would probably get me laughed out of most photography circles

Story

It was the day of the MeetUp, and I suddenly didn't want to go. Being honest, the main reason I got out of bed was because I didn't want my expensive GND system to just collect dust. As I was testing out the system before leaving, I realized something quite vexing: my lens diameter is 52mm, but the system only came with a 77mm coupling ring. I needed a step-up ring. Great. Now I had 30 minutes to get to Samy's Camera before heading off to the MeetUp. Without a car. In LA.

I called Samy's to make sure they had what I needed, and I had them put the 52-77mm step-up ring on hold for me. I ordered a Lyft, using an extra dollar to splurge on a non-shared ride. The transaction at the camera store was fast enough, and I was out of there in less time than it took to get there in the first place. I had to order another Lyft to get to the beach, and I decided to share that one, as it was about $5 less. I fiddled with my camera in the front seat of a full car. By the time I'd attached the step-ups to their couplings and tested out the system, I got dropped off at Venice Beach.

After being challenged to shooting a photo essay by Chris in the Red Hat, I wandered off to explore Venice photographically. A few times, I got frustrated, so I decided to change my lens to see if that would do anything. I switched a few times throughout the day to get the shots I wanted. But really, I was mostly waiting for sunset to come.

Golden hour on the sand

Eventually, golden hour came, and the sun was hurtling toward the horizon. I sat down on a bench near the basketball courts at Muscle Beach and began the process of setting up my GND system. First, I stuck the tripod quick-release foot onto the base of the camera. Then, I unsuccessfully tried to get the CPL (circular polarizer) into its slot, so I decided not to bother. The sun was disappearing.

I fitted the GND onto the front of my lens with the help of that step-up ring and set up my tripod. The sunset didn't have as many clouds as I would have liked (they reflect the light and create lots of colors in the sky), but I pushed on anyway. I aligned the faded edge of the GND filter with the horizon and took some shots.

The sky on fire

I took photos of the sun, of the water, of people. Unfortunately for me, a couple decided to take their nuptials right in the middle of my field of view. (Congratulations to them, though!) So I moved from photographing the sun to photographing the clouds that refracted its light.

Cotton candy clouds

Looking back on it, I should have scoped out my surroundings ahead of time to figure out what kinds of shots I wanted. I definitely wanted to take some pictures closer to the surf, but I was trying to figure out my filter system and didn't make it in time to catch the sun. As I work with my gear more and more, I think I'll be able to capture more dynamic shots. There's always a next time.