Bobbi Models at Prospect

Digital original

It has become a standard modis operandi during my trips to Halifax to fill every moment possible with photographic sessions. Even after a full day of teaching, if the weather is cooperative and a model available, I'm keen to set out to utilize the last light of the day. Sunset sessions are more time sensitive than most, as each moment that passes leads to a change of the light, but this particular evening was a little cool, so the pressure to work swiftly because of the fading light was compounded by the need to keep Bobbi warm enough to last through the session.

Digital, 4 frame exposure blend

As the sunset crept forward, Bobbi and I gradually worked our way along the beach, towards a point where there was water between the rocks and the sun; this was where I wanted to be for the last minutes of the sun being above the horizon so I could capture its reflection on the water and the light it cast upon Bobbi on the rocks before me. Because I was using a digital camera, I could take advantage of several aspects: first, I could correctly judge the exposures in the field, something that is impossible to do with film cameras and second, I was able to take multiple images, with different exposures to blend later in the computer. By blending two exposures, one for the foreground and another for the background, I was able to keep the richness in the sky, while still having full detail in the foreground.

Digital, 2 frame exposure blend, 2 frame resolution blend

The final images of the evening were by far the most engaging; on our walk up, both Bobbi and I had contemplated working with the water pool I have dubbed "The Eye of the World", but decided it would be better to leave the space until after the sun had set. So, on our way back we stopped and, after a moments hesitation, Bobbi proceeded to slip into the water and explore the possibilities of the space. This was a space that called for blended exposures; the foreground required more then a second-long exposure, while the sky took less then 1/30th of a second to record. In the end, the blended image was by far my favorite of the day, with a beautifully muted sky above and the unmoving mirror of the pool surrounding Bobbi's figure.