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Back to the main part of the Giants Causeway for one more photo and I think you knew that it would have to be a long exposure. This is just such a perfect location for it on a calmer day when big waves don't crash all around basalt columns. Also in this case, long exposure not only created the usual timeless feeling to the scene but also allowed to blur any people moving in and out of the scene completely (as long as they did not linger long enough to leave an impression).
This is a view looking in the opposite direction than the photo that I posted with the person standing on the top of that little basalt outcrop. You can see that the basalt columns really do cover a large area and this is why this spot is such a major attraction. That in turn allows for many composition options and you can take photographs almost in any direction depending on your vision and idea. Shooting out to sea was an easy decision here with lovely light and glow still remaining after sun went below the horizon.
When I finished taking photos from the other side of the outcrop, I move to this location. Most of people have already left to return to their cars and I was able to slowly pick my spot for this photo. The little basalt islands sticking out over the water caught my attention and I was hoping that a long exposure would create an effect where they looked like there were almost floating in the clouds. Another aspect of the composition that I liked was how there seemed to be multiple layers of rocks, almost like terraces, and the water worked its way around them beautifully to enhance the floating feeling.
I went for a six minute exposure to maximise the smoothness of the water and also to ensure I had enough movement in the clouds. The clouds were moving away steadily and enough remained over the horizon to allow me to catch them before they were all gone. They also seemed to move and radiate from the brightest part of the scene and it was exactly what I was looking for in this image.
One day I would love to see what this location looks like on a stormy day with bigger waves but I love the tranquil atmosphere of that evening that we were able to witness and photograph. I have few more long exposures from different angles at Giants Causeway and later on I am hoping to further develop one of them as a black and white impression. I was tempted to do the mono conversion with this photo but I just loved the colour accents and decided to leave it for another day.
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