Sunsets
by Barbara Eads
(Please click on each image in order to see a larger copy of the photograph).
Sunsets are one of my favorite things to photograph. It’s beautiful the way the sun hits the clouds & gives it color and light. I enjoy photographing sunsets, because each is a work of art, and each sunset is unique. When you photograph flowers, buildings, trees, etc. they do not change right away, but with sunsets you must capture it within a short period of time or it will be gone. I photograph sunsets at the beach, desert, lakes, at home, or anywhere I see them. I usually use an aperture priority setting of about f/5.6, and let the camera choose the speed. I take many shots to make sure I take advantage of the changing light, I start just before the sun dips , and continue long after the sun has set. Many people stop shooting when the sun goes down, but some of the best colors and light are long after the sun has set.
Nikon 5700
Sunsets in the desert can put on quite a show. The best time of the year to take sunset photos in the desert is usually July thru October. The warm moist air during this time creates beautiful cloud formations for the sun to reflect upon. This picture was taken from the balcony of my hotel room in Laughlin Neveda. It was composed of two pictures merged together. When you take panoramas, you need to make sure that you are getting the same exposure readings with each frame you take. Try to stand with the camera at the same level and turn from left to right,. When composing each picture, make sure to overlap each frame slightly. I then use Photoshop to photo-merge my pictures and crop accordingly. I adjust the levels and use curves to bring out the highlights of the clouds. I then saturate each color to intensify the colors individually.
Nikon 5700 Aperture priority f/2.8 8.9mm
This photo was taken at Lake Havasu Arizona. Sunset pictures over water produce reflective light on the water which can give you a tranquil feel. This picture was my favorite because of the design and color the sun had created through the clouds. I took several shots as the sun was setting. I intensified the colors in Photoshop by using color overlay and adjusting levels and curves.
Nikon 5700 Aperture Priority f/7.4 71mm
This is very unusual for the California Coast to get such a beautiful sunset as we usually have a lot of moisture and fog that hides the sun before it sets. This picture is taken at San Clemente, California. When some people take pictures of sunsets, they take a picture of the whole sunset. But if you zoom into the sunset you can get this wonderful red glow. It took me several shots to get the sun setting in just the right place. With the use of photoshop I utilized the curves adjustments and made the colors pop out . There is really no special way that I do this, only that I play with the curves until I get just the right look. I also increase the saturation to give the sunset the most color possible.
Canon EOS 20D f/5.6 Iso 400 50mm ,17-85mm lens
Beautiful sunsets can appear just about anywhere including where you live. This photo was take right up the street from where I live . When taking a sunset picture, consider silhouetting your picture. Silhouetting gives your sunset a special touch and framing. While the colors are beautiful in a sunset, sometimes you need a subject to accent your sunset and give it a little interest. To silhouette, you need to point your camera at the sky to expose the sky correctly. In doing so, this will underexpose any object that is in front of you making it silhouette against the sky.
As an conclusion, wherever you are or whatever you are doing, don't let a beautiful sunset pass you by. Grab your camera and take several shots or else you may miss an opportunity for that perfect sunset photograph.
Barbara Eads has been photographing seriously for about a year now. She has
taken photography and photoshop classes at the local community college, and is
self taught from photography books and magazines. She enjoys photographing
nature, and using photoshop to enhance her photos. Barbara is a regular contributor of articles to Scenic Sensations, and discusses various topics. If you wish to see more of
Barbara's photography and interest, please visit her gallery at
www.barbsphoto.cjb.net
All text and images contained within this article are © Copyright 2004-2005 Barbara Eads. All rights reserved worldwide.
Material contained within this article may not be sampled, duplicated, reproduced, redistributed or re-transmitted in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of Barbara Eads or her agents.
The material is published on Scenic Sensations with permission.
