Stock Photo of a Lighthouse Casting a Beam of Light Over a Stormy Sea - Great for Backgrounds!

Lighthouse in a storm is one of the very first stock photos I created using Photoshop. While I don't remember where the idea came from, I remember very well shooting the lighthouse. I had originally photographed Pigeon Point Lighthouse just a short drive south of Half Moon Bay. The idea was to shoot the structure just after sunset when there was still a bit of blue in the evening sky. We lit the lighthouse using three lamp heads, each with its own power pack. With a seascape of blowing waves and a dark sky image, I was able to get to work. I composited the new picture together by copying and pasting the sky into the shot of the waves. This was way before Photoshop had layers. Then, after using the pen tool to create a clipping path around the lighthouse, I converted the clipping path into a selection and copy and paste the selected lighthouse in the water and sky composite. I then used a mask to blend the lighthouse convincingly into the storm-tossed waves. Finally, I used the lasso tool to create a selection that would mimic a lighthouse beam of light, and then used curves to bring up that selection creating the illusion of a shaft of light. Of course, there was all the usual cloning out spots and so forth. This lighthouse image is a conceptual stock photo illustrating themes such as safety, security, salvation, risk, danger, guidance, and the way forward.

Lighthouse With Small Boat    Lighthouse In Drought    Spiral Striped Lighthouse    Sailboat In Rough Seas With Lighthouse    Urban Lighthouse    Lighthouse

Keywords associated with this image: