Storm Archives - Chip Bunnell Photography

Sunrise Ocean Lightning by Chip Bunnell Photography

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The ocean never ceases to amazing me. One minute I can be deep in slumber, knowing that just on the other side of the bedroom walls are the gentle waves lapping on the beach. Just seconds later I can awaken to wall-rattling booms of thunder, as lightning illuminates the entire room in a brilliant flash. Long before the rooster alarm sounded, that was exactly how our morning started.

At first, I seemed to be in a foggy state as I walked along the beach, surrounded by body-rumbling bangs. In my dream, they seemed to go on and on. After what seemed like hours, but was really only a few minutes, I realized I was sleeping through a delightfully powerful storm. Once I gathered my bearings, I finally grasped the rare opportunity to see lightning over the ocean during sunrise. With my trusty non-metal tripod in hand, I ventured on to the balcony to see if I could capture the magic of nature in my lens.

I made several interesting images, but this was my favorite. I loved the texture of the cloud ceiling with the morning sun forcing its way through. On the left, a single unstoppable bolt blasts the waiting ocean below. No lightning trigger or other such tool was available. Once again, I am reminded that timing and preparation get results…with a little luck thrown in for good measure.

Photo Stuff: Single frame on a tripod, Processed in LR, PS and Topaz Clarity

In baseball it common to say, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and sometimes it rains.” I had high hopes of various images I would make this morning as I drove north well before the magical moment of sunrise. I have been fortunate to “win” well over 90% of the time in the almost daily match between Mother Nature and my camera. Today, she gets to put one in her “w” column as the rain kept me off the beach. But have I lost the match? Far from it….

For example, this is an image I made last week. The skies were gray and the wind was blowing strong from the East. Along the South Florida coast that is the recipe for keeping your boat in the slip and rolling over to catch a few more minutes of much coveted sleep. To me, however, this was a perfect day to grab my gear for a creative photo session. I liked how the power of the waves were crashing against the resolute man-made pier legs. After they unleashed their wrath, they quietly retreated to the sea to gather and rush the beach once again. Fueled by the constant wind, this scene replayed over and over with no end in sight. The long exposure of this frame gives an almost ghostly feel as both the rush and retreat are combined.

Photo Stuff: Single frame with variable ND filter, Processed in LR

Chip Bunnell Photography

Unique Portraits • Events • Architecture • Creative Underwater

Tag Archives: Storm

NATURE :: Sunrise Ocean Lightning

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LOCATION :: Rush and Retreat

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