A Hard Day’s Night, an Easy Morning

A technique I’d wanted to try for a long time: 30-second exposures at night, camera firmly on the tripod, turning the sea into something almost silky. And then the real magic started when a couple of guys walked into the water with a flashlight. Look closely at the splashes and the strange green glow beneath the surface — the people themselves have completely disappeared. It’s amazing what 30 seconds can do to an ordinary scene.

The colours after sunset were something else — the last warm tones in the sky mixing with the glow of the city and the deep blue-green of the sea. A surprisingly rich palette, but all in dark, muted tones. And the flashlight experiments continued. This time a passing boat drew a thin line of light across the water, while the waves caught a bright light from the promenade, turning the foam almost golden for a moment.

Apparently, morning exercise is not just for humans. One went straight for a swim, a few others concentrated on stretching, and the Black-winged Stilt finished the session with some serious one-legged balance training. Everyone has their own routine.

After the morning workout, it was time for the official portraits. Some went for serious, some for curious, and a few clearly knew exactly which side was their best.

I know I photograph the sunrise a lot, but how could I leave these out? Clouds, grasses, silhouettes and that wonderful golden light — every few minutes the same sun manages to look completely different. And it makes me wonder — am I using the light to capture what I see, or using what I see to capture the light?

A little later, it felt as if someone had quietly turned up the saturation. Green everywhere, strong sunlight, and then that ridiculously bright splash of pink — an explosion of colour after the softer tones of sunrise. A completely different mood, but just as much fun to photograph.

Nikon Z9 · NIKKOR Z 180–600mm f/5.6–6.3 VR

Nikon Z5 · NIKKOR Z 24–120mm f/4 S