Canon 5Dii, 16-35 2.8 L Lens, f11, .5″, ISO 50 – Circular Polarizer, Cokin P filter Holder with ND Grad (Heavy) filter. Canon 5Dii, 16-35 2.8 L Lens, f8, ISO 100, .5″, ISO 50 – Circular Polarizer, Cokin P filter Holder with ND Grad (Heavy) filter.

When filming the last day for the Business Crash Course, the wind got the better part of my filter set which is now somewhere on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. When I ordered the replacements, I decided to try an ultra-dark grad filter along with a blue and red. It is amazing at all the different filter sets there are available.

A few things I am learning:

1. It seems that at least on Maui- Cloud formations are king. They will make or break your shot every time. I look at them during the day to try to predict if it will be worth shooting or not at sunset.

2. Know the exact time the sun is going down. Get to the beach about a half hour before then.

3. To be a really good landscape photographer, it pays to have a wide selection of filters available. The grad filter I had today was just too dark, namely because the sun is peeking between the clouds. If there were no clouds it would have been perfect. I see this type of sunset a lot, and am thinking about making my own filter to shoot for this type of scenario.

4. It helps to have something interesting to break it up. I really like the fisherman because he is different than what I am used to having in my sunset shots. Rocks are aways good.

5. Moving wave shots seem to be best between .5 seconds and 1.5 seconds. These 2 are at .5 seconds. The waves look better if you take the shot as they are coming in, vs when they are pulling back out.

Not happy with these, but I am determined to get better at landscape photography and feel like I am learning each time I shoot.