Sunset tips...

[popeshawnpaul]

I was kind of bored so I thought I would try and help people out with their photography.  I see lots of sunsets posted on here and thought I would help some of you think a bit differently when you snap that next sunset photo.  The main thing I see missing from almost all of the sunsets on here is a subject or focal point.  Many years ago I shot sunsets like most on this site did...with a nice pretty sky.  Then I read a book when learning photography from John Shaw.  He was a master at sunsets with a subject.  Some of his work can be found at http://www.johnshawphoto.com/index.htm.  I have never met him but I appreciate his work and attribute much of my photo influences from his books.  I would highly recommend one of his nature/landscape photo books.

So, when you shoot a sunset you don't make the sky the focal point.  You need something to reference the area.  If you are in the southwest you would find a cactus.  If you were in an agricultural field you might pick an old barn.  If you are in Bryce Canyon you may select a desert pine tree.  Whatever the subject, you can try and tie that shape to the area you are shooting so that your viewers know where and the photo was taken.  To do this correctly it usually requires you get low to your subject and have it dominate the frame.  It is also usually the best to silhouette the shape.  Exposure can be tricky with silhouette photos but the best advise I can give is to expose for the brighter parts of the sky and shoot your photo.  Sometimes exposure bracketing saves time. 

I'll post the following photos to use as an illustration to this point:


I took this photo at sunset in a field in Utah.  Although I had not originally planned this shot it just came together.  I was driving along and saw this unbelievable sunset...much like most of you do.  I could have stepped out of the car, snapped the shot, and drove on.  However, I saw this barn ac cross the field.  I raced over to it and got my tripod set up.  What attracted me to the shot was the way the light could be seen through the boards in the barn.  I believe this is one of the best photos I have ever taken.  What makes this sunset shot is the fact that there is a subject in the photo that is silhouetted against the sunset.  Without that barn, this would just be another sunset photo.  No post processing done on either of these shots except I erased a barbed wire fence that was hardly noticeable on the barn shot. 

Here is another example:

This is actually a Bryce Canyon sunrise shot.  The canyon was just not visible that morning and I knew my shots of the canyon with the sky were not going to turn out.  I had to find a subject focal point and spotted this desert pine a quarter mile down the canyon trail.  Once again I was off to capture it.  While I didn't make it dominate this photo, it adds a semblance of place and stature to the photo.  It takes the shot from just another sunset to something more special. 

So maybe it's tall reeds or cattails next to a lake that has a good sunset.  Maybe it's an elk or deer.  Maybe it's a large tree.  Whatever your subject, try and tie your sunset pictures to the land.  Maybe you can take an average sunset photo and make it spectacular...

Shawn

[jackelope]

here's a few for you...fire away.


no real focal point here...


on the upper blackfoot


the snake

[Head-shot]

Wow guys beautiful pics, and best of all NO SNOW in them.

[boneaddict]

Great pics Pope.

[Antlershed]

Here is one of my favorite sunset pictures with a subject in the foreground...

[Gamblin Guy]

Here's one of my favorites, taken last summer.  Does anyone recognize this?

[boneaddict]

Constantanople ?sp?

[huntnphool]

Great info Pope, and thanks for the link and picks. I know you have seen this one, only sunset pic I have with a successful hunt, talk about being in the right place at the right time.

[popeshawnpaul]

That is really a great photo Gamblin Guy.  I love photos that evoke emotion.  I get a sense of dracula or something when I look at that photo.  A perfect example of what I'm talking about.

Phool, that is a great photo.  It seems like it's too good...?  It's almost too unbelievable that the timing was that perfect.  It's almost like it's two different photos...a kill shot and a great sunset shot.  I have always wondered what this shot would look like on a tripod and without flash...  You might have to hold still for a 1/8th second shot but it would be spectacular.  If you shot that in RAW send it to Elkman and see what kind of magic he can do to it.  If he could HDR that image it could be incredible...  Just a thought.  Keep them coming guys. 

Oh, sometimes your subject can be a mountain...such as the Grand Tetons.

[Slider]

WOW POPE!!! You shouda saved those for the Photo of the month!!!

[Gamblin Guy]

Great photo of the Tetons, we're going through Yellowstone this summer, i'm buying extra cards now. 

You mention emotion with that photo of mine, that's Jackson Square in New Orleans taken on my second mission trip last summer for the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding.  After 4 days of working, we decided we needed a little distraction and went into New Orleans for dinner.  All kinds of emotions with that photo and many more from those two trips....

Here's a sunrise taken during elk season from a place I usually spend at least one morning at.  There aren't many elk right there, but there is a different sort of "presence" I feel everytime I go there.  It's an annual thing for me now going back more than 10 years.

[popeshawnpaul]

I was going to submit it last month Slider but it isn't of WA and I forgot to submit it...   

[huntnphool]

"It seems like it's too good...?  It's almost too unbelievable that the timing was that perfect.  It's almost like it's two different photos...a kill shot and a great sunset shot."

I hear ya Pope, like I said the right place at the right time. My brother and I took several pics hoping to end up with a good one, when we got back to the cabin and put them on the computer we found most of them were out of focus, we used the AF and in trying to get the sunset in there the camera focused past the deer and on the background. Unfortunately they were not shot RAW just large jpeg. Can they be cleaned up? Here are a couple more, this angle you can see how much of the main and G4 broke off, on the hoof he was very symmetrical.

Bye the way, I love that purple sky in the mountain pick, I don't think there is a rule that says if you post a pic in one thread, it eliminates that pic from the contest, I would submit it anyway, its a winner in my book.

[popeshawnpaul]

Purple sky...gotta love Velvia!

[huntnphool]

Hey Pope, if you notice the top pic I am in focus but the sky is not and in the second pic the camera focused on the sky and I'm out of focus, what is the easiest way to get both in focus, obvious depth of field issue? Do I need to back up farther and then zoom in with the lens? Wouldnt that just make the sharpness suffer? Any help would be great. Remember that it was dark and made it hard to focus manually, the flash makes it look brighter than it really was. Also, if we backed up the flash wouldnt brighten me up enough. Other than packing flood lights what can you do in the field?