Sunset

[anthonyblanc]

Here is my first attempt at a sunset. This was actually taken with my Point & Shoot before I had got my DSLR.

Any thoughts on the composure?

Also, is the beach too dark? How might I have brightened up the foreground (the beach) without loosing the colours of the sunset itself? Or do you think this was not necessary?

Any other comments are welcome!

Thanks.

Grande Riviere Sunset 2 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Camera: Olympus u1010,S1010
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 6.6 mm
ISO Speed: 100

[navcom]

Hi Anthony! Nice location there!

A couple things on sunsets/sunrises for you. First on composition. While sunrises produce some very dramatic skies and colors, the sun and sky alone usually don't make a very compelling image. You usually need another main subject such as a foreground object or other combination of elements that pull your attention. Then you let the sun and/or pretty sky "shine down" on your composition and add the dramatics.

I use the "frosting on a cake" metaphor. Most people don't like to eat raw frosting but put it on a cake and it makes the whole desert so much better. A sunrise/pretty sky is like frosting on a cake. Your image has some very pretty colors but it does lack a good main subject.

Second on exposure and brightening up the foreground. What you are battling is called dynamic range, which is the range between the brightest and darkest points in your image. A sunrise (even without the actual sun) has a large range. The human eye can see about 20 stops of light while your camera can only record about 9. This means that your camera has to choose between a properly exposed sky or a properly exposed foreground.

Two things you can do to help with this problem. First is to use a graduated neutral density filter. This filter is half clear and half shaded with a feathered area where the two meet. You put the shaded area over the sun/sky to "push back" it's intensity. This allows for the foreground to be better exposed.

The other method is to take several shots at different exposures and then blend them together in post processing. This is commonly called the HDR technique.

Both methods have their pluses and minuses. The filter produces the highest quality image which is why it's my first choice but it usually requires a rather straight horizon and doesn't work well with mountains or other compositions where there isn't a defined horizon. The HDR technique doesn't require a horizon but it can degrade image quality as it's modifying pre-recorded pixels versus modifying the light before it's captured. This "post modification" means you can only work with the pixels you have and nothing more.

That it in a nutshell. Hope that helps a bit!

[anthonyblanc]

Thanks for the advice!!

Maybe I will try to get a filter to try next time..if not I will try the HDR although sounds a bit more tricky.

Thanks!

[windrider86]

Can you post your photo here for us? Please and thank you

[Krusty79]

Here is how to post your image from Flickr - Posting Photos from Flickr [July 2010 Update]

I would follow navcom's advice.

[anthonyblanc]

Here is the Pic... sorry I had just included the link to the photo on my flickr photostream.