How to get a perfect sunset?

[Meeskephoto]

So I have noticed that all my photos of any sunset, always come out either with the sky washed out or the landscape silhouetted. I also noticed that every skilled photographer has a picture of the sunset where they actually achieved the rich sky and surrounding area with detail. How the heck do you do this? This may be a noob question but I'm super curious. What I can think is either everyone has filters or uses HDR. Are those the only way to achieve an even amount of detail?

Thanks,
Thomas

 

[TheFantasticG]

I just turn it to the SCENE mode then set it to SUNSET. Camera figures it all out. Bam. Instant wall-hanger. Only bollucks thing about it is when I forget to point the camera at the horizon where the sun is going.... or take off the lens cap.

 

[KmH]

They use a GND filter to lower the brightness of the sky,
or make 2 exposures - one for the sky, one for the land - and blend them post process,
or they make 3 or more exposures and combine the exposures using an HDR application like Photomatix Pro.

 

[Meeskephoto]

They use a GND filter to lower the brightness of the sky,
or make 2 exposures - one for the sky, one for the land - and blend them post process,
or they make 3 or more exposures and combine the exposures using an HDR application like Photomatix Pro.

Ahhh, ok. I think I'l give HDR a shot next time. I can get that free with Luminance HDR. Some day I'll get myself a collection of filters... sigh ...someday.

 

[D-B-J]

They use a GND filter to lower the brightness of the sky,
or make 2 exposures - one for the sky, one for the land - and blend them post process,
or they make 3 or more exposures and combine the exposures using an HDR application like Photomatix Pro.

Ahhh, ok. I think I'l give HDR a shot next time. I can get that free with Luminance HDR. Some day I'll get myself a collection of filters... sigh ...someday.

For graduated neutral density filters(GND), I heard it's better to go the plate route, rather than the screw on type. This way, you can move it up and down, which will give you a lot more freedom in your composition. With the screw on filters, your horizon is set in the middle.

Jake

 

[Meeskephoto]

They use a GND filter to lower the brightness of the sky,
or make 2 exposures - one for the sky, one for the land - and blend them post process,
or they make 3 or more exposures and combine the exposures using an HDR application like Photomatix Pro.

Ahhh, ok. I think I'l give HDR a shot next time. I can get that free with Luminance HDR. Some day I'll get myself a collection of filters... sigh ...someday.

For graduated neutral density filters(GND), I heard it's better to go the plate route, rather than the screw on type. This way, you can move it up and down, which will give you a lot more freedom in your composition. With the screw on filters, your horizon is set in the middle.

Jake

Yeah I've heard this too. Plus the plates are cheaper. I'll have to study that when I've got the money to get a few.

Thanks,
Thomas

 

[jsecordphoto]

I've been doing a lot of HDR shots for this exact reason lately until I can buy a decent GND filter. Sometimes the HDR shots look good but sometimes, like today, I really wish I had a GND filter instead. I live in an area with dozens of lakes and ponds so a lot of my sunset photos also have water in the foreground; so with base exposures of a few seconds and then bracketing off of that, if there are rocks or something in the water that I put in the foreground when I merge everything in photomatix they sometimes look really poor. I do use selective ghost removal but it doesn't always take care of the problem.

Just something to consider if you go the HDR route. btw when I do an HDR I always take 7 different exposures (-3,-2,-1,0,+1,+2,+3)

 

[robbins.photo]

They use a GND filter to lower the brightness of the sky,
or make 2 exposures - one for the sky, one for the land - and blend them post process,
or they make 3 or more exposures and combine the exposures using an HDR application like Photomatix Pro.

So.. cheat. Cheat like crazy. Lol... I like this plan. I'm excited to be a part of it!

 

[TheFotog]

They use a GND filter to lower the brightness of the sky,
or make 2 exposures - one for the sky, one for the land - and blend them post process,
or they make 3 or more exposures and combine the exposures using an HDR application like Photomatix Pro.

Ahhh, ok. I think I'l give HDR a shot next time. I can get that free with Luminance HDR. Some day I'll get myself a collection of filters... sigh ...someday.

For graduated neutral density filters(GND), I heard it's better to go the plate route, rather than the screw on type. This way, you can move it up and down, which will give you a lot more freedom in your composition. With the screw on filters, your horizon is set in the middle.

Jake

So true, didn't even think about that. I have some plates coming soon, very exited =)

 

[Meeskephoto]

Does anyone use luminance HDR? It's free, and I am yet to use it, but I downloaded it. Any feedback on ease of use or quality of final product?

 

[imagemaker46]

My two best sunsets...Barbados and Fiji Having the ocean as a prop always works.

 

[cosmonaut]

So I have noticed that all my photos of any sunset, always come out either with the sky washed out or the landscape silhouetted. I also noticed that every skilled photographer has a picture of the sunset where they actually achieved the rich sky and surrounding area with detail. How the heck do you do this? This may be a noob question but I'm super curious. What I can think is either everyone has filters or uses HDR. Are those the only way to achieve an even amount of detail?

Thanks,
Thomas

Get a three stop ND grad filter and some good software like Lightroom. Protect the highlights when shooting and then bring up the shadows in post processing. Try and catch the sun right at the horizon before it comes up and becomes a fireball. Days when there are some clouds it helps diffuse the suns light some as well. Shoot RAW as RAW files are more flexible in post. It's not cheating to edit a shot. A camera has no where near the dynamic range your eyes have. So if you want true to life you got to help out the camera some. Nothing is in the shot that wasn't there when I took it. I just brought out the details.


Cherokee Rock Village by Cosmonaut's, on Flickr

 

[Meeskephoto]

So I have noticed that all my photos of any sunset, always come out either with the sky washed out or the landscape silhouetted. I also noticed that every skilled photographer has a picture of the sunset where they actually achieved the rich sky and surrounding area with detail. How the heck do you do this? This may be a noob question but I'm super curious. What I can think is either everyone has filters or uses HDR. Are those the only way to achieve an even amount of detail?

Thanks,
Thomas

Get a three stop ND grad filter and some good software like Lightroom. Protect the highlights when shooting and then bring up the shadows in post processing. Try and catch the sun right at the horizon before it comes up and becomes a fireball. Days when there are some clouds it helps diffuse the suns light some as well. Shoot RAW as RAW files are more flexible in post. It's not cheating to edit a shot. A camera has no where near the dynamic range your eyes have. So if you want true to life you got to help out the camera some. Nothing is in the shot that wasn't there when I took it. I just brought out the details.

Sweet, this is exactly what I needed. Is lightroom the best option for this kind of post processing? I've been using Picasa because it is free and it seems very limited in its abilities. Soon I will probably invest in some adobe stuff, lightroom seems to be popular.

 

[cosmonaut]

So I have noticed that all my photos of any sunset, always come out either with the sky washed out or the landscape silhouetted. I also noticed that every skilled photographer has a picture of the sunset where they actually achieved the rich sky and surrounding area with detail. How the heck do you do this? This may be a noob question but I'm super curious. What I can think is either everyone has filters or uses HDR. Are those the only way to achieve an even amount of detail?

Thanks,
Thomas

Get a three stop ND grad filter and some good software like Lightroom. Protect the highlights when shooting and then bring up the shadows in post processing. Try and catch the sun right at the horizon before it comes up and becomes a fireball. Days when there are some clouds it helps diffuse the suns light some as well. Shoot RAW as RAW files are more flexible in post. It's not cheating to edit a shot. A camera has no where near the dynamic range your eyes have. So if you want true to life you got to help out the camera some. Nothing is in the shot that wasn't there when I took it. I just brought out the details.

Sweet, this is exactly what I needed. Is lightroom the best option for this kind of post processing? I've been using Picasa because it is free and it seems very limited in its abilities. Soon I will probably invest in some adobe stuff, lightroom seems to be popular.

I think Lightroom is the easiest to work with. It has an exposure brush which basically lets me dodge and burn different areas of the image not only with darks and lights but saturation, contrast color and sharpness.
i don't do HDRs I have tried them but I just am not big on the over toned look plus when I look at them really close I lose some sharpness.
The secret to nice pictures is get as much right in the field as you can. Take your time, bracket shots at different exposures and angles and then learn to correct them at home.
Don't get the threaded ND grads they are easier to keep up with but they cut the scene right through the middle and it makes shooting the rule of thirds tough. Look at the Cokin P system. If you buy the three filter kit it's cheaper even though you may never use the one stop filter. Get the proper ring for your lens size.
I finally moved up to Z filter as my lenses are 77mm. But it is a lot more costly. You can spend as much on filters as you want to. But the Cokins will do you a nice job.

 

[Meeskephoto]

Sweet, Lightroom sounds amazing compared to what I've been working with. Definitely going to have to make that purchase. And yeah I've heard from nobody that the circular ones are the way to go, unless in terms of ease of use, but performance is what I need.

I think I know what route sounds the best now, time to get saving! And of course keep shooting.