PEOPLE: A Memorable Walk

My 7-year-old is childhood personified. She is a bundle of energy and full of joy. When given any amount of free time her imagination runs wild and it’s a pleasure just to watch how passionately she lives each moment.

Over thanksgiving my family took a trip to Dominical, Costa Rica. Everyday we would head out early to check out a local beach near the house that we rented. Our favorite turned out to be Playa Uvita. It was perfect! Gentle surf, beautiful rainforest coming right up to the beach, not a person in sight and monkeys in the trees…it couldn’t have been much better.

Dancer by Scott Cowlin - All Rights Reserved

I took this picture on a walk that my daughter and I took to investigate the “whale tail” that was a mile or so down the beach. (the whale tale is small spit of land that is only accessible when the tide is out and looks like a whale trail form above)

It was late afternoon and the tide was going out which left this great wet sand that acted like a mirror. I took a lot of pictures with the sun at my back to capture the great reflections but as we headed back I noticed how beautifully silhouetted my daughter was by the sun. Also I loved that tide was erasing her footprints so that the final image looks like she is rising out of the water.

There wasn’t a lot of set-up with this shot, just having my camera with me, letting my daughter be who she is and observing how she blended in well with her surroundings. The camera details were as follows:

• Camera
Nikon D300S
• Focal Length
24 mm
• Shutter Speed
1/1250 sec.
• Aperture
10
• ISO/Film
200 Camera
Nikon D300S
• Focal Length
24 mm
• Shutter Speed
1/1250 sec.
• Aperture
10
• ISO/Film
200

Post capture I edited it in Lightroom. I chose the antique light preset and then adjusted the contrast in the sky and on the beach.

What I love about this picture is that it not only captures the absolute beauty of our surroundings but also the uninhibited joy that my daughter expresses on a daily basis.

Hope you like it.