This image was captured during a wander around Bray beach in August last year. I had kept my kit bag minimal on purpose for the outing with just a single lens, a tripod and my new (at the time) 10 stop filter. The reason for the light bag was not to save my poor back though, I wanted to strip things back in my images and forcing myself down a route where I have just a few pieces of gear with me helps I think to simplify my image taking.
One thing I find the 10 Stop ND filter is great for is stripping away distractions, whether its the sky or the sea. It allows one to extract shape and form from the sedentary objects in the frame. It also helps to create texture and depth that would otherwise not be visible.
I think this image perfectly demonstrates that, as the long exposure of 5 mins has quietened the sea and the sky so that the viewer can focus on the fore and mid-ground; the 3 light grey rocks leading you into the image while 3 much more prominent darker rocks run tangentially across the frame. All across the frame are amazing shapes and lines formed by rivulets caused by the receding tide.
