A few sunset photos for C&C

Unspoiled · Oct 12, 2009

Just by luck I found a group that goes out every month and takes sunset photos at a park by my house. I joined them this weekend and here is what I came back with.

I was real happy with these at first and my attraction has faded after looking at them over the past few days. Is that common? Does that mean I am realizing that they are not the best?

I didn't play with too much post processing. All I have is the Nikon software that came with my camera.

#1
Here is the first. Nothing exciting here. The colors are what pulled me in to this one.
Exif:
Model: NIKON D90
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: 3.8
Focal Length: 24mm
Flash Used: No

#2
I was playing with the WB on these - Cloudy set to A3
Exif:
Model: NIKON D90
ISO: 800
Exposure: 1/60 sec
Aperture: 8
Focal Length: 20mm
Flash Used: No

#3
I changed the WB to Cloudy B3 on this one. I like the blue it pulled out of the sky. The horizon is a little blown out on this one.
Exif:
Model: NIKON D90
ISO: 800
Exposure: 1/125 sec
Aperture: 4
Focal Length: 20mm
Flash Used: No

#4
This one was after everyone left. I could still see something there and wanted to play with long exposures. This is around 15 seconds.
Exif:
Model: NIKON D90
ISO: 100
Exposure: 15 sec
Aperture: 3.5
Focal Length: 20mm
Flash Used: No

Thanks for the feedback!

bp4life71 · Oct 12, 2009

I love the pictures. I can't quote you slot of tech jargon, but I liked the shots.

burstintoflame81 · Oct 12, 2009

I like the the last three. Very nice sunsets and good dark areas as well. I think #3 is the best because I like how you can kinda still see the blue sky with white clouds, yet you have the sunset as well. It looks like the horizon is on fire. I think I just don't care for the mountain one because I am also from Gilbert and am the same way. You kinda just get used to the mountain shots and lose interest. Atleast the ones around here. I think its the fact that everything is a shade of brown.

Which park was this at?

Flems · Oct 12, 2009

Lovely shots!

I too find myself harder on my pictures after a little time has passed. I think it's a common thing a photog experiences. We constantly take pictures and over time our expectations build. As with any other learning experience, one starts to realize the good, the bad and the ugly, all the while adding to our own expectations.

Nonetheless, I think your shots are great!

:thumbup:

Unspoiled · Oct 12, 2009

burstintoflame81 said:
I like the the last three. Very nice sunsets and good dark areas as well. I think #3 is the best because I like how you can kinda still see the blue sky with white clouds, yet you have the sunset as well. It looks like the horizon is on fire. I think I just don't care for the mountain one because I am also from Gilbert and am the same way. You kinda just get used to the mountain shots and lose interest. Atleast the ones around here. I think its the fact that everything is a shade of brown.

Which park was this at?

Thanks! I wasn't a real big fan of the first one either. That is the most color you get to see around here. Usually everything is a nice shad of brown

The park is San Tan Mountain. Its a nice place. This was my first time there. Nice park and well maintained. $6 parking fee per car.

They have monthly hikes at sunset for photographers. It was a lot of fun. Most of the pointers the guide gives are pretty basic and the hike is mellow. I enjoyed it for $6.

Unspoiled · Oct 12, 2009

Flems said:
Lovely shots!

I too find myself harder on my pictures after a little time has passed. I think it's a common thing a photog experiences. We constantly take pictures and over time our expectations build. As with any other learning experience, one starts to realize the good, the bad and the ugly, all the while adding to our own expectations.

Nonetheless, I think your shots are great! :thumbup:

Thanks for the feedback. That seems to be my case. The more I take pictures the more critical I become of myself. Also hanging out in here can be humbling. When you think you are taking good shots...someone always blows me away with some fantastic shots.

I took pictures at a wedding I was in a couple weeks ago. I thought they were OK. Not fantastic, but decent...Then I saw these and realized that I have a long way to go. These were posted in another post:
Fotografai Aleksandras Babicius ir Irina Belcikova

Wow!

txphotog · Oct 13, 2009

These are very good shots. I'm kind of fond of the last one with the beautiful colors and the stars.

photosoto · Oct 13, 2009

I like them! You made note you thought 2 was a little overexposed. I think there are enough cool hues to balance out what little bit may be overexposed on the horizon. i like it!

Stormchase · Oct 13, 2009

Good pictures. I am from Arizona 13 years and there are some awsome skies there. Your shots show it well.

burstintoflame81 · Oct 13, 2009

I actually took some pics of Santan when I first got my camera. I did a stitched panormic shot. Looking back on them though, they all sucked

There is a second parking lot that I don't believe charges anything. Look up a map. Its kinda north east of the main entrance. I think its off of a road called like wagon wheel or something like that. I am sure that the access is less convenient there, but you can save some money.

battletone · Oct 13, 2009

You take a drive up Four Peaks sometime if you never have.

joeywpc · Oct 13, 2009

I like # 3 the best, it holds my interest for the longest whereas 1 & 4 are a little bit generic, not as special.

Unspoiled · Oct 13, 2009

txphotog said:
These are very good shots. I'm kind of fond of the last one with the beautiful colors and the stars.

That is one of my favorites too. I guess it says something that we were all there at the same time with cameras and I stayed to take this. Nobody else stayed. I wanted to see how it would come out. Glad I stayed.

photosoto said:
I like them! You made note you thought 2 was a little overexposed. I think there are enough cool hues to balance out what little bit may be overexposed on the horizon. i like it!

I think your right. I like to see what others think. If I would have brought the exposure down I don't think I would have captured the sky as well.

Stormchase said:
Good pictures. I am from Arizona 13 years and there are some awesome skies there. Your shots show it well.

I've been here nine years and the sunsets and sunrises never seem to disappoint. I know they are a little boring to most but I always catch myself snapping a shot or two...or three.

burstintoflame81 said:
I actually took some pics of Santan when I first got my camera. I did a stitched panormic shot. Looking back on them though, they all sucked There is a second parking lot that I don't believe charges anything. Look up a map. Its kinda north east of the main entrance. I think its off of a road called like wagon wheel or something like that. I am sure that the access is less convenient there, but you can save some money.

I will have to check it out. I think I will be back down there to take more pictures. $6 isn't bad once a month, I'm not going to do that every week. I don't mind it once and a while. The park is pretty nice so its nice to see that it's going somewhere. The park is well maintained.

battletone said:
You take a drive up Four Peaks sometime if you never have.

I've never been there. I will make the trip soon. I have been wanting to make it out there this year. No luck.

joeywpc said:
I like # 3 the best, it holds my interest for the longest whereas 1 & 4 are a little bit generic, not as special.

#3 is my favorite too. I wish I would have bracketed it and done an HDR. I did another shot but it didn't turn out that well. Its hard to make the sunsets exciting because they have been done so often. I'm going to have to try to find a unique way to capture them. :idea:

Thanks for all the feedback. It helps a lot!