It’s been a busy few months, but I finally managed to visit the Giant’s Causewa with the Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 lens. I love experimenting with shallow depth of field in landscape photography, and there are few places better suited to it than the Giant’s Causeway.
The day was dull, muting the colours of the sky and sea against the famous basalt rocks of County Antrim. The sea was rough and the rocks were particularly slippery, resulting in plenty of whistle-blowing from the health and safety team as they worked to keep everyone safely on dry ground.
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Time was limited as the sun was already setting, and it was also a challenge to find sections of the rocks that weren’t crowded with other like-minded photographers or the inevitable hordes of selfie-takers.
The Giant’s Causeway
Getting low to the rocks was made much easier by the tilting screen on the Fujifilm X-T2. I could compose the shot accurately by looking down at the screen without having to physically get low myself, which was a welcome advantage given the conditions.
The X-T2 paired with the Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 proved to be an ideal combination for capturing the Causeway. The 16mm focal length is wide enough to take in the dramatic rock formations along with the Irish Sea backdrop, while the fast aperture allowed precise control over depth of field. This meant I could keep the foreground rocks tack-sharp while gently softening the seascape behind them. If you’re new to the concept of depth of field, check out Shooting Shallow: Understanding Depth of Field.
Given the flat light, I processed the images using a variation of my Lightroom Presets. I plan to release this preset in the future with a County Antrim inspired name. The combination of low light, late afternoon sun, and the preset helped bring a sense of drama and atmosphere to the Giant’s Causeway coastline.
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