Spring Sunset

[stapo49]

This one didn't turn out exactly as I planned. There seems to be some lens flare I guess you would call it. I was considering cropping the sun out all together. What do you think?

 

[Jeff1549 49]

Nice composition but it's a shame the sun is blown

 

[SquarePeg37 8]

I think the sun is fine. My opinion (and I'm no expert) - I don't think the portrait orientation is the best choice here. The foreground is not that interesting. I would cut about a 1/3 off of the bottom and then about an inch off the top and make this a landscape. Just straighten the horizon a tiny bit (that could be my eyes - maybe that slanted cloud is throwing me off). It looks like a good spot and maybe get closer to those rocks next time?

 

[TreeofLifeStairs]

I think the sun is fine. My opinion (and I'm no expert) - I don't think the portrait orientation is the best choice here. The foreground is not that interesting. I would cut about a 1/3 off of the bottom and then about an inch off the top and make this a landscape. Just straighten the horizon a tiny bit (that could be my eyes - maybe that slanted cloud is throwing me off). It looks like a good spot and maybe get closer to those rocks next time?

I agree, I’d like the composition better in landscape.


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[stapo49]

Thanks for the responses guys. I had a couple of better spots picked out from exercising the dog earlier in the day but when I came back there where a couple of professional photographers doing photo shoots and hogging my spots lol. I was initially closer to the water and rocks but the swell started coming so I had to back off. I redid these in more of a landscape format and cropped the sun out in one. As Jeff said I think it is blown. I will have another go this evening in a different spot on the beach. It's only 10 minutes away from me.

 

[dxqcanada2]

Ah, the sun needs to be in the scene ... hmm, ever thought of getting a graduated ND filter ?

 

[stapo49]

I was using a 10 stop ND filter. The sun is fierce around here lol.

I assume the graduated filter works differently?

 

[SquarePeg37 8]

I like the first one with the sun. The second one lacks a subject. I don’t find the sun to be that big of an issue in this but if it bothers you, maybe a slightly shorter exposure time to reduce the glow? Or next time do an exposure for the water and another for the sky? @Destin takes a lot of these, maybe he can weigh in. Or @JonA_CT and I think maybe @DarkShadow?

 

[Destin]

When you’re shooting sunrise/sunset images you pretty much have to accept that if you want the sun in the frame it’s going to be blown out and cause lens flare. You’ve done as good a job as is likely possible in controlling this.

Your ten stop ND filter isn’t going to help balance the image because it just makes the whole thing darker. An image like this with a clean horizon line is just screaming for a 2-3 stop hard edge graduated ND. If you’re not familiar, a grad ND is a rectangular piece of glass with a tint that only applies to half of it. This allows you to darken the sky while keeping the foreground bright; thereby reducing the dynamic range of the scene and improving your cameras rendering.

Using filters for this trumps HDR processing because it just looks more natural. The downside is that a square filter holder and a couple grads can easily cost $400+ and cheap options generally have severe color casts.

My personal preference when shooting sunrise/set is to keep the sun out of the frame altogether. There are two ways to do this:

1.) Shoot with the sun just outside of the frame to the left or right. You can still get great images with colorful sky, but you avoid having the blown out sun or lens flare in the image.

2.) Shoot just before sunrise or just after sunset while the sun is below the horizon line. This is generally when the colors are the richest anyway, so it is my preference.

Sorry if I rambled on a bit or got off topic; it just sort of spilled out. Hope some of this is helpful.

 

[dxqcanada2]

I was using a 10 stop ND filter. The sun is fierce around here lol.

I assume the graduated filter works differently?

Destin (above) has a good explanation.

 

[stapo49]

When you’re shooting sunrise/sunset images you pretty much have to accept that if you want the sun in the frame it’s going to be blown out and cause lens flare. You’ve done as good a job as is likely possible in controlling this.

Your ten stop ND filter isn’t going to help balance the image because it just makes the whole thing darker. An image like this with a clean horizon line is just screaming for a 2-3 stop hard edge graduated ND. If you’re not familiar, a grad ND is a rectangular piece of glass with a tint that only applies to half of it. This allows you to darken the sky while keeping the foreground bright; thereby reducing the dynamic range of the scene and improving your cameras rendering.

Using filters for this trumps HDR processing because it just looks more natural. The downside is that a square filter holder and a couple grads can easily cost $400+ and cheap options generally have severe color casts.

My personal preference when shooting sunrise/set is to keep the sun out of the frame altogether. There are two ways to do this:

1.) Shoot with the sun just outside of the frame to the left or right. You can still get great images with colorful sky, but you avoid having the blown out sun or lens flare in the image.

2.) Shoot just before sunrise or just after sunset while the sun is below the horizon line. This is generally when the colors are the richest anyway, so it is my preference.

Sorry if I rambled on a bit or got off topic; it just sort of spilled out. Hope some of this is helpful.

Ramble on mate its all good information. If the filter holders and filters can easily cost $400 in the US than they would probably be $800 in Australia.

I did have a few shots with the sun of to the side but they ended up with a sort of small streak of light in them which I assume is lens flare. May be lack of lens hood?

I posted a shot a few weeks back that turned out nicely and thinking back to it the sun had just gone down . I didn't use the ND filter on that one.

I guess a lot of it is trial and error.

Thanks for the input everyone

 

[zulu422]

I like the shot, the water looks awesome. Yep, graduated ND or try HDR if the sun flare isn't what you want. Get that hood on when the sun is just outside the frame- or use your hand outside the frame to shade the lens.

The sun will always be somewhat blown if it is in the fame... it's the sun lol