Creating the Seascape Photograph “Sunset at Sakonnet Beach”
Getting the chance to photograph sunset at Sakonnet Beach in Little Compton, Rhode Island is something I never pass up. It’s one of my favorite beaches for seascape work — a good beach, plenty of rocks right at the water’s edge, a lighthouse just off the coast, and sunsets that always seem to be full of color.
When I’m at the water’s edge waiting on a sunset, I turn into a kid at Christmas — will the clouds and colors come together, will I be in the right spot, will I actually get the shot right before it’s gone? It usually only lasts a few minutes before it fades into night.
For this one I wanted the rocks to be the dominant part of the composition, so I crouched down in the sand and got as close to them as I could while keeping my gear dry, until the lighthouse landed in a good spot on the horizon. I wanted the rocks nearly silhouetted with just a hint of edge light, the water soft and misty, and the sky holding onto its color — a long exposure smoothed out the waves, and a graduated neutral density filter kept the sky from blowing out.
If you like this stretch of coast, the Sakonnet Point Lighthouse print is from the same spot and makes a good pair with this one.