There are a lot of factors that make a good sunset photo. Ultimately you don't need an ND filter to take sunset photos but it really helps if you are aiming for quality and want foreground detail. It's possible with HDR. Take at least 3 shots....one for normal exposure, one for the sun, and one for the foreground. Blend these three together with Photoshop or HDR software. If possible, take 5-7 shots. The more you get, the better quality your blend will be. Of course you have to be quick about it. The sun moves pretty fast right at sunset....and if the shots are taken too far apart, you will blur the sun from it's movement.
The only thing with HDR techniques is they can easily be overdone leaving you with a "cartoonish" image or an image that is obviously fake. Remember to keep it real. HDR should be subtle. Do as much with your camera as you can.
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Cameras: Pentax K5, K20D, K10D, *istDL, ZX-7, ZX-L
Eagle Vista Photography - Flickr - Pentax Gallery
"Anybody can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple." Charlie Mingus
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