Centered Sunset
This photo represents over 2 years of trial and learning. It is a single shot, not a composite image or stitch. The journey to capturing this photo started with an idea- to photograph the sun setting into the ocean through the eye of a breaking wave. Ideally the shot would include palm trees or other identifying characteristics that rooted the photo in the islands of Hawaii.
Two decades of surfing and diving experience helped Tom understand how the ocean moves and how the waves would break. Using this knowledge he swam out into the waves in Poʻipū, Kauai every day for two years straight. He treaded water in the break zone with his Canon 7D in a waterproof dive housing. This camera set-up weighed 8 pounds and is about the size of a bowling ball. No surfboard, boogie board, or fins were used while trying to capture this photo, because the waves would rip them away while he focused on the camera .
A lot of trial and error went into figuring out the camera settings and necessary conditions for this shot. The waves move incredibly fast, and the light changes quickly throughout the course of a single sunset. The clouds turned out to be a big help, diffusing the sunlight and softening the intense highs and lows. Random water droplets on the lens of the camera were an annoyance that ruined some otherwise great shots. Over 92,000 photos, one torn rotator cuff, and a neck injury later, Tom finally captured the photo he had envisioned.
This image is available both as a standard ratio (2:3) and a panoramic ratio (1:2). There are two photos with this listing which demonstrate the two distinct cropping options. While I think both look great, I do prefer the standard crop.
This is a horizontal image, so the first number in the size listing tells you the height of the photo.
Photos printed on aluminum come with a UV protective gloss clear coat and hanging hardware on rear.
Photos printed on paper use ultra premium luster photo paper, premium inks, and black archival quality matts.
Hawaii wave photography by Scuba Tom.