need sunset tips

[Renee27]

Hello everyone. As I have said before, I have only been off AUTO for a few months. I would like to take some sunset photos and would like any advice or tips you have and wonder if you are using a tripod.

This site has been so helpful. I love it. Thanks.

Renee

[navcom]

Lot's of info on DPS about sunsets. Yep...use of a tripod is a must.

The biggest issue you will face is something called dynamic range. That's the range from the darkest to the brightest point in your image. As you can imagine, it's a huge range in a sunset. Your eyes can see about 20 stops of light but your camera can only record about 9. That means you will either expose the sun correctly and have a very dark foreground or you will have a properly exposed foreground and a blown out sky. Your camera needs help to get a good exposure. This is done usually with one of two methods....one is with a graduated neutral density filter and the other is using image stacking where you take several images at different exposures and combine them together in post processing. This latter method is usually referred to as HDR processing. Do a search on DPS for either ND grad or HDR processing and you will find a ton of info.

Here is a list of some basic tips to help you get the most of a sunset...

1) Use the lowest ISO your camera can muster. This is usually ISO 100 or 200.
2) Turn off everything auto. Use manual focus and/or hyperfocal distance focusing (do a search on DPS for this method...tons of info). Use aperture priority (Av) or manual (M) for exposure setting.
3) Start with an aperture around f/11 or f/13. If you need a larger depth of field, you can go smaller but this is a good place to start as it will get you the best image quality. Don't worry about shutter speed. Just use whatever works and since you will be using a tripod, it won't matter.
4) Use a shutter cable or a remote switch. This will minimize camera shake.
5) Use the 2 or 5-second delay option on the camera (also helps with camera shake)
6) Try using the "shade" setting for your white balance. This usually gets the best color rendition. I would also recommend shooting in RAW if you can as it will allow you to easily play with the white balance in post processing.
7) Think about composition. The sun all by itself and/or a pretty sky does not usually make a compelling image all by themselves. You usually need something else in the image to be the main subject and let the sun/sky "shine down" on it and enhance the composition. Consider the rule of thirds or other "rules"...at least until you gain some experience as they will get you into a photographic mindset.
8) If you can, show up at the location the day before (in the middle of the day) and set up your composition ahead of time. That way when it's "showtime", you already know how you want the image to look and all you have to worry about is setting up the camera.

Hope that helps!

[Doug Sundseth]

First, sunsets almost always work better as backgrounds than as subjects. That beautiful sun setting over the ocean tends not to make a very good photograph unless there's something for the viewer to focus on. The one partial exception is that sometimes when the clouds are just right you can get a really interesting picture of the clouds, but then you are arguably again taking a picture of something illuminated by the sunset, not the sunset itself.

Second, while the sun is still in the sky, the dynamic range between the sun and anything else in the frame will be huge. If you know what you're doing, you'll either get a blown-out sky and detail in your foreground and middle ground or you'll get a well-exposed sky and silhouettes for everything else. (If you don't know what you're doing, you'll get a blown-out sky and silhouettes. )

You can fix this by using a graduated neutral density filter ("ND grad") to darken the sky without darkening the foreground, or by illuminating the foreground, or by stacking multiple exposures in post processing.

Third, because of the previous point, it's often easiest to shoot after the sun goes down, when you can expose longer (or use only a little light) to pick up both the foreground and the sky.

Finally, at sunset or sunrise the light levels change very rapidly, so you'll need to track that pretty carefully. Semi-automatic modes, especially Aperture priority, can help quite a bit to keep your ambient light under control while still giving you the creative control to get the photo you want.

[Renee27]

Thanks for the great info! However, my confidence has been knocked down a notch. I have only minimal HDR knowledge, but am willing to give it a try.

I do not have a neutral density filter, which leads me to another question. Could you please give me some basic filter info? I already have a UV protector and a multi coated circular polarizer HD filter. In my beginner class we were told to always use the UV filter and that filters could be stacked. I would love to hear your input in this area.

Thanks.

[Doug Sundseth]

I never use anything but ND (or ND grad) and circular polarizer filters. I see no value to clear/UV filters*:

1) I won't put a cheap filter in front of expensive glass. There's not much point in getting glass with the least distortion, then adding distortion with a cheap filter.

2) Expensive filters cost as much as or more than many lens repairs.

3) Most blows that will shatter a filter will do nothing to the front element of a lens. Most of the rest will destroy the filter and still damage the lens. And some that would not otherwise damage a lens will destroy the filter and get filter bits into the lens.

Use a hood if you want to protect your lens.

* DSLRs have UV filtration built into the sensor cover. There's no point adding more UV filtration.

[navcom]

LOL! Don't worry...it all sounds confusing when you are getting started. It's not really that bad once you start using them and understanding what they do to an image.

I agree with Doug completely...don't waste your time with UV filters...either as a UV block or as a lens protector. It never made sense to me why anyone would spend thousands on the best glass out there and then cover it with a cheap piece of glass...which can degrade the image and destroy the whole point of having the best lens to begin with.

A couple things about filters...use them for what they were designed for and remember that photography filters are one of those items where you truly get what you pay for. Cheap filters sometimes do more harm to your image than good.

Here are the basic filters you will use in landscape photography:

- Graduated neutral density filters: These are the ones that we described in the previous posts. They are rectangular and are half shaded and half clear. You place the shaded area over the sky/sun with the transition zone at the horizon. This pushes back the intensity of the sun and makes it easier to get a good exposure on the whole image.

- Circular polarizers: These are designed to take reflections off water and glass. They also work to darken blue skies.

- Solid neutral density filters: These are similar to graduated ND filters but they are completely shaded. They are designed to NOT alter the image quality...only slow down the shutter speed. An example of one's use would be to take a long exposure of a waterfall during the day so that you get that "silky" water effect. Just remember that they do nothing to the image quality...they just reduce the amount of light entering the lens which forces a longer shutter speed to get a good exposure.

Those are about the only filters you really need for landscape photography. As for HDR...well...that's up to you if you want to use this technique. Photographers went without it for decades and got by just fine but it is a nice tool to have in your toolbox should you need it. It can also be fun for experimentation!

Try to stay away from dirt cheap filters. As I said, you really do get what you pay for. That doesn't mean you always need to buy the most expensive filter out there, but stay away from the real cheap ones and buy as much as your budget will allow...especially if you plan on taking it to a higher level someday. The cheap ones work well for practice but just bear in mind their limitations...which sometimes aren't always obvious until you compare their results with their more-expensive counterparts.

If you want a bit more in depth discussion of how filters can help your landscape photography, you can check out an article I did for Singh Ray Filters awhile back at this link. Just keep in mind that it's geared towards more of an "advertising slant" for their products but the concepts apply to any filter brand.

Hope that helps!

[Renee27]

So what you are saying is that the filters I purchased at Target for $10 may not be the way to go. LOL.

That was really good information. I took a beginners and intermediate level class from a local university. (just continuing ed., not for credits) He taught us a lot, which got me started and covered many things quickly. There were also varying levels of experience and cameras, so he did well for what the class was. However, there are many things that I have learned about on here, that he never really talked about. So great to have this forum for us newbies! I am finding there is so much more that goes into getting an awesome photo than I expected. He did tell us to buy a hood, which I did. So I got that covered!

Thanks so much for the help.

[jasikajohnson]

Travel photo album is not complete without the token sunrise or sunset picture, learn to predict good sunset before it happen. Be patient to get best colors.