Living in Yzerfontein means I have a blue flag beach within walking distance from my home. During the December holidays it is packed with people, but this shot was taken on 29 May 2012. As winter approaches most of the beachcombers leave and I get to explore the beach by myself. So this is the view that I love: an empty beach at sunset, a receding tide, and just enough light to make the reflections and colour last through the magic of the camera.
This photograph was made from the combination of the remaining light from the setting sun, overlaid by a rising full moon. The ISO was set to 800, in spite of limited light available, to try and preserve the colour integrity of the evening. I put the camera down on a railing, overlooking the lake in the foreground, to prevent camera shake. It was taken with a 17-40mm wide angle zoom, set to 36mm, and the camera settings were f5.6, 1/500, -1.3 exposure compensation. The wide open aperture adds to the feeling of overall softness by reducing the sharpness of the details in the landscape and sky. Taken on a very cold night in Worcester, September 2012.
Hannelie de Klerk 