Sunset photo - newb needs help

[peach1828]

It was my first time to take a photo of the sunset at the beach last weekend, and I've posted the photo below. I know there are many things wrong with this shot. First off, despite using a lens hood I still got a flare. Why and how can I avoid this? Second, my photo doesn't look sharp enough. I also used a polarizing filter, but not the expensive kind. Did that make my photo look too dark? I was aiming for a dramatic shot but completely missed it because you can hardly see anything on the foreground. I realize that there is much to be desired in terms of composition too.

Also, I had a hard time focusing during sunset. I switched from automatic focus to manual, but still couldn't get it right. I had so many wasted shots.

Here's my gear and the EXIF. I need advice on how I could improve taking sunset photos. I live in Sunny California near many beaches so I would appreciate any tips that would help me improve.

Camera: Rebel XTi/ Canon EOS 400D
Lens: EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/500
Aperture: f/10
Exposure bias: -2 EV
Flash: Did not fire
Shutter Priority

[subrataofkris]

Hi peach1828,

Taking a photograph, facing the sun is difficult, so you should be be disheartened. The bird in front of the sun could have been a very beautiful shot.
Here are a few tips:

• A polarizer does not have any effect when you are facing the sun, there is no reflection here anyway.
• A lens hood protects your lens from sun rays coming at an angle, but if you face the sun directly, the flare cannot be avoided. Try taking the shot from an angle, better if you can stand in a shade.
• The sun seems to be pretty bright when you took the photograph, you should wait till the light dims, that will make life easy for you.
• The photo is dark because, your camera sensor has taken the exposure of the sun, which is too bright. This has rendered the other subjects dark like a silhouette.
• You must think what you want as your subject, if you want to create a silhouette, too much darkness will be bad for the picture, so compose accordingly. The lower part of the shot needs to be cropped.

Read the blogs on Sunset Photos here, they will help you.

Cheers,

[peach1828]

Thank you so much, Subrataofkris! Your comments are a big help. Below is a link to a photo I took seconds after taking the first one. It doesn't have a flare because, as you pointed out, I wasn't shooting into the sun.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2734006...n/photostream/

I actually read the post on stunning sunsets in DPS and was hoping to achieve that, but I guess I need to practice more. Next time I'll take more time composing my shots, remove the polarizer and bring my tripod.

Thanks again for taking time out to help me

[tickintime]

Maybe a ND filter would help? Not sure I just read about gear and own next to nothing.

I rather like this shot as a silhouette, it's not perfect but i have had many worse . Would a larger version be possible, I am not seeing the lack of sharpness you were concerned about.

[peach1828]

Hi tickintime, I have read about ND filters but don't know enough about them to invest in one just yet. I do know they're supposed to help with sunset shots and in creating deliberate motion blur effects... but that's as far as I know.

I don't think I'm allowed to post more than one photo here but if you click on the link I posted above it'll take you directly to my flickr account where you should be able to view the photo better. Maybe I'm being overly critical of the photo?

Thanks for saying you like the silhouette

[PrevailingConditions]

Hi Peach1828,

I think subrataofkris hit most of the issues, but I wanted to reiterate the point about the polarizer and flare. Flare is generally caused by the light reflecting back from other elements within the lens. Adding the polarizer here (where it's not doing anything anyway) is just adding to the flare.

I also wanted to say that I like the shot. Crop some off the bottom and you have some nice silhouettes with the different layers. I especially like the light coming through the lifeguard tower.

PC

[peach1828]

Hi PC,

Thank you so much for your comments. Next time I'll remember to keep the polarizer in my bag and off my lens when shooting sunsets. I can't wait to go back to the beach!

And thank you for saying you liked the photo. You've all inspired me to do better... just the kind of encouragement a newb like me needed to hear

[PhotoNewt]

Originally Posted by tickintime

Maybe a ND filter would help? Not sure I just read about gear and own next to nothing...

A graduated ND filter would be most helpful; this filter is darker in the top half, transparent on the bottom half. This has the effect of decreasing the exposure on the sky (top) but leaving the ground exposure unchanged.

This type of filter can help reduce the difference in exposure values between the bright sky and the darker foreground for a more balanced shot.

[peach1828]

Thanks for the info PhotoNewt. I guess that filter is a definite must-have! Would make my life so much easier

[PhotoNewt]

Originally Posted by peach1828

Thanks for the info PhotoNewt. I guess that filter is a definite must-have! Would make my life so much easier

If you plan on doing much landscape photogaphy these can certainly come in very handy.

You may also want to explore HDR processing (High Dynamic Range) which can also be very helpful for better landscape imaging.