Week 5 | 9. Complementary Colors

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Last weekend, I had the opportunity to head over to the other coast to take part in a workshop with Richard Bernabe. We stayed in Jupiter, FL, close to our destinations of Coral Cove Park and Blowing Rocks Preserve. Saturday was the toughest day; up before sunrise in time to get to Coral Cove for the sunrise and then back again to shoot the sunset at Blowing Rocks. What I hadn’t planned for was just how much hard work it would be to get to Blowing Rocks, located about a mile down the beach. A mile isn’t so far you say, but the problem was that the sand doesn’t pack, and so it was like walking in heavy snow. My feet kept sinking into the sand, so I tried to walk along the shore line only to have my feet sink into the sand each time a wave came on shore. By the time I got to Blowing Rocks I was exhausted, hot, sweaty, my poor back was complaining mightily and there was nowhere to sit as the rocks were jagged and uncomfortable on my poor posterior (believe me I tried).

While I got some lovely pictures from the beach, one of my favorites I actually took from the balcony of my hotel room after this long day. I really wanted to get some shots of the stars from the beach, but this night was my only opportunity and after a day like that all I wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep. After all, we had to be up early the next morning for more sunrise shots.  My room was overlooking the front of the hotel and while there was quite a bit of light spilling into the area, I could still see stars so I thought I’d give it a shot. I set up mt tripod and camera on the balcony with my remote trigger and took a few shots. They were not bad, but there was a pleasing combination of the yellow of the palms, caused by the sodium lights in front of the hotel, against the deep blue of the night sky. Blue and yellow – complementary colors – sort of.

I would love to go back there some time better prepared to take some more sunrise shots and maybe even try to make it to Blowing Rocks without whining the whole way. And maybe take a seat with me too.

EDIT: A friend pointed out to me that I captured Cassiopeia. I didn’t notice it until he mentioned it 🙂