Help with sunset shots

[DaveH]

Hi Everyone

With ref to my last post ref Sunset shots.
Hopefully you will be able to see the attachments, sorry if you can't.
I really struggled at the sunset exposure on Saturday.
These are bracketed exp using Av @ f8 1/60 Iso 400 & 3200,
Any advice please.....
Is this a case where I should be taking 5 exp's foe e.g. and layering them together in Photoshop.

http://s1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee458/DavidHewson/?action=view&current=IMG_2234.jpg

http://s1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee458/DavidHewson/?action=view&current=IMG_2233.jpg

Thanks for your advice

DaveH

[Muscat]

Re: Help with sunset shots

DaveH,

I took the liberty of dropping your photos into this reply. I will PM you with details of what I did.

As for advice on how to better the shots my 2 pennyworth is that you were going to struggle to get detail into the foreground and capture the colour of the sky in one single shot unless you used some filters to balance the brightness of the sky against the darkness of the ground.

You could have taken a series of shots to get the details that you wanted in the ground whilst accepting that the sky is burnt out and then take some shots correctly exposed to get the correct colours and details in the sky and then in the post processing combine the images to give you the great sky and details in the foreground.

I am sure that some of the more experienced members can offer more advice

[Trevoreast]

Re: Help with sunset shots

Looks like a great sunset, what a sight.

This image has the exposure problem, which can be solved by auto bracketing and combing the exposures and by using filters.
Compositionally, and this is just my subjective opinion. The lighter sky and the darker foreground are almost 50/50.
Since the sky is arguably the most interesting part you could give it 66% of the space with the less interesting field 34

To be honest, for me there isn’t much of interest in the foreground. You can’t please everyone. so you may as well plesse yourself
The thing I find challenging, and just a bit annoying about sunsets is that when your all setup in a great location, the sunset is very disappointing or nonexistent as a spectacle.

Trev

[malkie9]

Re: Help with sunset shots

Dave,

When I shoot a sunset I always bracket three shots then combine them and also use a 0.9 ND graduated filter to keep the detail in the sky. Use a tripod and mirror lock so no issues with combining and ghosting.

This shot was taken with this method.

[DaveH]

Re: Help with sunset shots

Hi

Thanks for the comments.
You all make perfect sense.
And Malkie, that is a quality shot.
I've got a ND filter and Circular polarising filter but perhaps the graduated one would be a useful purchase.

Thanks again

Dave