569 - Bass Harbor Head
Today I got torched by a massive wave. While high.
Do you like how I used the word “torched” to describe a water feature? I’m becoming a better writer, guys. In real time.
Today's adventure was my second attempt at east coast seascapes. If you read about my sad attempt at Otter Cove the other day, I decided today was my redemption. My red, dead, redemption.
Bass Harbor Head was the name of the game. Probably the most popular lighthouse in Maine. But hey, I’m in the only National Park around here… So I’m not sure what you expect. The obscure locations will come once I’m bored of this place. (Which is gonna be soon.)
I decided to load up a nice joint before this adventure to see the effects of it on my photography. Marijuana’s a known creativity enhancer, so I decided to take it for a spin.
I started down the short trail down to the lighthouse baked as a potato. A cat suddenly sprinted into the middle of the trail, then ran off into the woods. I was fairly certain it was a sign… But of what, I had no idea.
Once I arrived at the beach below, I scanned the shoreline for the best spot. A pile of strange rocks stood before me, and I realized I’d need to get across them to position myself correctly for a photo.
Suddenly the chorus for Beethoven’s 5th rang in my ears. (That’s how my high brain works, just in case you’re wondering.) It was time to navigate. I hopped across the rocks like some kind of human bunny hybrid and landed on the final ledge. I sniffed the air for carrots.
This was where I needed to be to take photos of the lighthouse.
I loaded up my tripod, and waited for the waves to come in properly. And I’m not gonna lie, I got lost in the moment for a good 15 minutes. No good waves were coming in, but I was daydreaming into the ocean like some kind of ancient philosopher.
I snapped out of it. OK. Time to focus.
I decided to reposition myself a little closer to the waves, where I realized the money shot would be.
Since the clouds weren’t that exciting, I was going to need to rely on trippy water formation to carry the photo. I experimented with all different types of shutter speeds, and landed on 1/4s. This allowed me to get the most texture possible out of the ocean:
“Bass Head”
Taken with Sony a7rIII + Sony 12-14mm f/4 G
[ISO 100 ~ 12mm ~ f/13 ~ 1/4s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
And fun fact, in post-processing I blended three different wave shots together to get that final result. I’m 90% sure the only reason that texture looks so nuts is because I was high as balls. Every wave that came in looked like some kind of magic blanket.
Suddenly a sneaker wave came out of nowhere and rocked my world.
A boat must have passed by in the distance to generate this thing, because the wave hit the rock I was on and completely covered me and my camera body.
Nothing to sober you up like cold salt water to the face.
I frantically dried off my camera with my wet shirt. I’d just destroyed my a7rIV a week or two ago, and I wasn’t about to lose this baby too.
Suddenly I remembered that cat crossing my path. And I felt like one of those old cartoons where the cat falls in the water and freaks out.
It was time to get out of there. I was fairly certain I had a good shot, and sticking around longer wasn’t going to do anything for me.
I turned around, and realized there were 20+ all behind me that just watched that entire scene go down. Well, I’m happy to be the in-flight entertainment today.
Once I got back to my Prius, I took in the situation. Still high as a camel, but everything appeared in working order. Alright. Time to edit. Then lobster rolls.
Actually, maybe not in that order.
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