Long exposure sunset

[MyTonyTiger]

Hey all,

I'm new here. I've been perusing the threads and see a lot of nice shots. So, I thought perhaps I could share one I took a couple of days ago. It was well after sunset, but we had just had such a beautiful sunset that I didn't want it to end. So, I bumped up the exposure. This shot was 30 seconds long. No lens filters. It really was dark with only the faintest glow on the horizon from the sun. I wasn't in a great location (my backyard), but I still thought it was a neat experiment. As a bonus, the moon was just barely showing through the thin clouds. I was even able to get a star to show in the shot. There was a little wind so the trees aren't razor sharp. This gives me some good ideas for a planned long exposure sunset in the future.

Exif Data:
Shutter: 30 seconds
Aperture: f/11
ISO:400
Focal: 24mm


Sunset by mytonytiger, on Flickr

 

[ceejtank]

Nice shot.

 

[afoto]

very nice colours!
as for composition though, it would be nice if there were something in the foreground other then tree tops. in general photos that just look up can be a little boring.
but sometimes the sky is perfect and your stuck at home, so i understand.

 

[MyTonyTiger]

Thanks Ceejtank.

Thanks for the feedback afoto. I agree 100% about the composition. Like you said, I was stuck at home, and there were good reasons for not include anything lower than I did. This one was just an unplanned (run and grab the camera I have an idea) experiment with long exposure to see how the colors would play out as well as the clouds. Even though I couldn't see any light from the clouds, 30 seconds brought it out. This gives me some ideas for a future shot at a better location with more interesting foregrounds. ;-)

For example, I know a spot on KY Lake where I might be able to do this next month when the moon is in a similar phase. The reflections off the lake and the colors would be spectacular. I just have to be fortunate (or persistent) enough to catch the sky just right. Also, when we are closer to new moon, I might be able to do one with a few clouds, and catch a few stars as well.