Monday evening.  I'm sitting on a rock and watching the swell advance towards me.  I'm trying to time the shots manually now.  The exercise is being frustrated by the ebbing light.  Light readings at the start of the shot don't last the 5 to 10 minutes I need.

At least it's quiet.  For a time, I can just sit, watch the waves (sometimes anxiously). It's a moment where you just sit and appreciate the view. While glancing at the stop watch.  Waiting.   Hoping I've got the exposure time right.

The lack of light also drains the scene of colours.  This is why I opt for a black and white conversion.  I'm hoping I can get four or five good shots (or keepers) before I run out of light.  I ended up with two. Both were taken with the Sony a900 and the Minolta 20mm f2.8 RS.  I'd brought along 4 lenses but in the end, the 20mm turned out to be ideal.  

Both shots below were 300 seconds long, from slightly different perspectives.  I avoided boosting the exposure too high to keep the late in the day feel.

Hauraki A view of the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, with Rangitoto Island in the distance. This shot was taken in the early evening, after sunset. The exposure was 300 seconds.

Above the rocksA view of the Hauraki Gulf, with Rangitoto Island in the distance. This was an early evening shot (after sunset) and took 300 seconds.