Sunrise and Sunset

[jzzdhillon]

Hi,

I'm now starting to use the D90 that I bought recently (along with a 18-105mm VR & 35mm f1.8) and need some advice on the settings I should use to take pictures of sunrise and sunset.

Also would JPEG give me great results or should I use RAW to allow me to edit the pictures afterwards if required?

It's my first attempt to take these types of shots and I'd appreciate any advice to help me get the shots "right."


Thanks,

jzzdhillon

[Saralonde]

Try these posts on the blog:

Tips on Early Morning Photography
How to Photograph a Sunrise
12 Tips for Photographing Stunning Sunsets

You can use either JPEG or RAW. However RAW is like a digital negative and contains more information than the JPEG. There are a lot of discussions in the forum about this topic. Try searching "RAW or jpeg". One to start with is this.

[OsmosisStudios]

Shoot RAW. Always shoot RAW. But of course you knew that.

Grab a tripod, find a good location, and set in for a while. Wait for the light and use the settings you need. A low ISO is key.

[Almond.Butterscotch]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Shoot RAW. Always shoot RAW. But of course you knew that.

actually, in this case I disagree. I went out yesterday looking to do the same thing. Bear in mind, I always shoot RAW. Unless you import into NX2, it'll be next to impossible to get the colors to look the way they do in camera. And sunset colors is where its at. I ended up reinstalling NX2 last night just so I could export to JPEG. (Shoulda shot in JPEG+RAW).

Actually, do that. JPEG + RAW. decide for yourself.

As for settings, It helps if you have an ND filter. It's not necessary, but it very, very much helps. I found I was getting the best results about 15-45 minutes after the scheduled sunset time, using aperture around f/5.6 to f/11 (using the 35mm f/1.8. I'd have used my kit for the 18, but didn't have it with me), ISO 100, and shutter speeds in the vicinity of 15-25 seconds.

At about 90 minutes past sunset, I was up to shutter speeds of 150-300 seconds. Amazing colors.

[Almond.Butterscotch]

Oh- if you Flickr, look for shots like what you're going for, and check out their settings. To get an idea. Expect to experiment a lot in the field.

[sk66]

Use Manual Mode or at least override the meter with exposure comp.....The camera will almost NEVER meter a sunrise/ sunset correctly.

[Shokinen]

Shooting RAW will allow you to correct mistakes and sometime "save" a bad exposure.

Like SK66 said, there is such a big difference of light entering your camera between the sky and the field that sometime, the camera metering is off. Take many exposure (-2,-1,0,1,2) and choose the best one at home.

A tripod is also a very good idea. Most of my sunset/sunrise are done using one.

Sunset / Sunrise - a set on Flickr

Also, take several shoots. Better have more than not enough. The sun is moving rapidly near the edge of the ground so I usually take a shot every 15 sec.
(another reason why I shoot in RAW, light change very rapidly so I can correct the exposure in Lightroom if I wasn't correct on the field)

[Almond.Butterscotch]

I agree that RAW will let you adjust exposure, but if you're after colors, just shoot JPEG + RAW. For example, I've posted the same shot twice here, one as the JPEG out of NX2 (as I saw it in-camera), and the other as a JPEG through Aperture's own algorithm. I tried LR3 Beta too, and it gave me close to the same result.


RAW processed by NX2

RAW processed by Ap3

[Almond.Butterscotch]

Note: neither has been processed in any way; just ran through different programs

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Almond.Butterscotch

Note: neither has been processed in any way; just ran through different programs

Sidestepping the exact reason for shooting RAW: that kind of control just cannot be obtained in JPG. If you just want what the camera can produce, then shoot JPG. But shooting RAW will give you that much more lattitude.