Hook Storm

Hook Head. Probably the most photographed landmark in the South East of Ireland. I've a pain in my face trying to get a different angle on it that hasn't been seen before but I suppose many people have. You look for a sunrise, a sunset, a funny looking sky, a night shot. Then a storm comes along. It's particularly nice when you leave home with a bit of a wind blowing only to get to a destination like Hook Head and the Wrath of God has been unleashed.

The image above - I was wondering how close I could get to see the wave breaker rise alongside the tower. There were several that came the same height as the lighthouse itself but I was cleaning spray from lenses at the time. Just after this shot was taken there was another wave coming in. I could see it'd be a biggie...I focused on the tower...then it hit. All I saw was a wall of white water bouncing back in my direction wetting and my A700 in the process. I didn't take any more shots.

The process for the image above was to create 3 images in Lightroom and transfer to CS3 to get a balanced image. Then convert the image to B&W, some burning/dodging of the waves, a little distortion straightning and a slight vignette in Lightroom at the end...then some last minute dust sopt and seaweed removal for good measure. You can see the original image on my site.