Category Archives: Beachscape

NATURE :: Jupiter Morning Waves

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Jupiter Morning Waves by Chip Bunnell PhotographyMy morning adventures took me to the northern most point of South Florida, Jupiter. After spending the pre-dawn hour photographing the iconic lighthouse, I moved on in search of my next scene. The sun was quickly rising and I had little time to for my next setup. I decided to visit a nearby beach and see what I would see.

There were no spectacular rock formations, no iconic lifeguard stations or dogs running in the surf. All I found was tranquility and the calm morning sea with a few clouds to frame the morning sun. My first instinct was to capture some of the leading edges from the incoming waves. The unusually flat seas helped make this possible. Sees fairly safe, right? After watching several wave cycles and reading the marks in the sand, I had a pretty good idea of where to set up to be at the water’s edge, yet keep my gear from of liquid salt. Of course nature has a playful sense of humor. Just as I would set up, take a few images and become comfortable in the safety of my position, a little extra water would come rushing in…and send me running back a few steps, tripod in hand. This game went on several times with both sides winning in their own rights – I still had dry gear and the ocean reminded me who’s boss. I even chuckled as I saluted my worthy opponent.

Now, from higher and dryer sand, I noticed the waves breaking a good 20 yards off shore. Florida is not know as a surfing destination, but the shallow reef gave this particular area some small, perfectly formed curls. I watched with my naked eyes and then through the magnified viewfinder as the waves would crest and then fall, each time creating iconic shapes. For a split second, the rising sun back lit the thin waves just before they crashed down on themselves. My first attempts to capture that single moment were, well, not as successful as I would like. Frame after frame, I had to adjust for ambient light, shadows inside the wave curl and focus on the fast moving subject. I learned the rhythm and, like a skilled surfer, began to pick my perfect waves.

This particular image reflects a split second I saw that morning. The brightly lit sunrise breaks through the cloud line. The oncoming wave is frozen with a perfectly formed curl. Thin water that gives height to the wave carries the bright sky colors forward, creating a bond between sky and ocean. Admittedly, this was not the image I started out to make that very early morning, but by “seeing what I would see”, I was able to be part of the Jupiter morning waves.

Single Frame, Processed in LR

www.ChipBunnell.com

NATURE :: A Flurry of New Turtles

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Baby Sea Turtle Tracks in the morning sun by Chip Bunnell PhotographyFlorida is filled with many wonders of nature. Most famously, the alligator is literally a living dinosaur. Beautiful birds flock to the state and even a unique tiny deer lives near Key West. Under the warm, clear waters that surround South Florida one can find even more unique creatures such as several species of sea turtles. One of the greatest treats to divers is to see one of these majestic, and even at times playful, creatures gliding gracefully over the reef. But how did they get there? Where did they start their lives? The answer may surprise you.

Each year female turtles crawl out of the dark, night waters and pull themselves across the sand to lay their eggs. Their flippers dig until the hole is the correct depth to protect their unborn young. Like pirates of the past, this mother will bury the precious treasure, leaving the tropical sand to protect and warm the developing babies. She then slides back to the same dark night seas with a hope and prayer that her children will emerge heathy a ready to take their place on nearby colorful reefs.

Roughly 6 weeks later, under the cover of darkness, a ballet of activity begins. Each of the eggs crack open and one by one the baby turtles dig their way through their protective sand roof to take their first breathes in the night air. They scurry about on the sand, guided only by their instincts and the faint light of the pre-dawn sky as they desperately looking for their new watery home. Using their tiny flippers, they turn left and right until they find the safety of the awaiting ocean. As this new birth happens under the cover of darkness, few ever see this exicting event, but we can see the proof of a great miracle…if you know what to look for in the morning sun.

This image shows that proof. Notice, in the foreground, the markings on the sand. At first, they may seem random, almost as if made by large rain drops. Upon inspection, you will see defined trails – a small center trench with impressions on both sides. The trench is the indentation from the bottom of the young turtle’s shell. The impressions on the side are made by the flippers as they pull themselves towards the waiting sea. While I was not there to witness the birth of these new turtles, I found myself staring at the marks in the sand, thinking of the flurry and excitement that had happen just hours before. Perhaps one day I will see these very same turtles under the waves on the reefs just a short boat ride away.

3 Frame HDR, Processed in LR and Topaz Clarity

www.ChipBunnell.com