Guidance on taking sunset pics

1 - Make sure there is the sun in it. You'll be surprise how many i've seen title sunset without the sun.

2 - Use M, ISO 100, just play with the numbers til the sky is not blown out. Might wanna try a ND filter, and do 3 shots and some HDR.
 
use a tripod... if you didn't already guess. And use a remote shutter release or a self timer
 
The sun is obviously bright, so ND grad filters are must if you want to keep some foreground details, otherwise you'll either have blown out skys or very dark foregrounds.

Or you could do multiple exposures, ie. one for the sky and one for the foreground, and then merge them during post processing...

Tony
 
0.9ND hard is useful if the old current bun hasn't set, otherwise 0.6 .

Personally, I think the best sunset ones are after it has set, with cloud effects.
 
Best light is up to an hour after the sun has set. USually too much light in the sky before then. Especially if the sun isn't behind some sort of cloud/pollution haze or very weak i.e during winter. If you're shooting the sunset before the sun dips below the horizon then I'd advise not shooting directly at the sun but use the warm, soft and very directional light to shoot around 90 degrees to the sun. You'll get some nice shadows to give depth to the image and the light is often lovely at this time (about an hour before sunset depending on where you are) If the conditionsual sunset. are right then 20 minutes or so before the sun actaully sets then think about shooting the actual sunset.

After the sun has set the cameras sensor will react differently to the available light than your eye will. If you can bear the boredom, cold and tedium of hanging around whilst the ca,era does a 5 minute exposure and then a 5 minute noise reduction, only to discover you've exposed wrongly and have to go back and do it again then multi-minute exposures will pick up the last vestiges of light and give you some wonderful colours in the sky that your eye may not see. Then it's time to turn towards where the sun set. You will need a tripod, remote release with lock for timed exposures. Some way of timing them (doesn't need to be too precise as a few seconds either way in a 5 minute exposure doesn't affect things) and probably some graduated ND filters to hold back the sky.
Throughout all of this you will probably need to meter on manual as once you get past 30 seconds your cameras meter wont be much help. One method I've found is to crank the iso up to 1600 or 3200 then double the exposure time for every ISO stop you drop back to 100. e.g 2" @ iso 3200 = 4" @1600 = 8" @ 800 = 16" @ 400 = 32" @ 200 = 1' 4" @ iso 100!

As the light dips your autofocus may start to hunt as well with not enough light to be able lock on to something. Time to start manual focusing. Have a google for hyperfocal focusing, read up and then use it. Generally, with a wide-ish angle lens then f8-f16 and set the focus distance to about a third of the way into the distance.

Not a definitive or exhaustive guide by any means but just methods of working that I use sometimes.

Hope it all helps!



P.s. get there a good 2 or so hours before the sunset is due. Last thing you want to do is miss the very narrow time band of great light by having to set stuff up and scout for a good spot!
 
And I guess be prepared for the conditions not to be right?

A great sunrise yesterday morning, but no camera. today I got up early, same spot, heavy fog :bang:
 
Heavy fog?

A gift from the gods surely? lots of mysterious trees in the gloamin type of things.

I'd kill for fog I would!
 
Only just got back on, thanks heaps for the information.

Just one question, I get the need for a grad fileter to keep the foreground bright, but I generally thought the idea of s sunset piccy was to get silhouettes etc?
 
That, is for you to decide! You're the artist!

Not all sunset pics are sillhouettes. Have a squizz through my website and you'll see what I mean.

Sometimes it's nice to have shadows and sometimes it's nice to have foreground detail.


Do both? do neither?

So many choices lol!

But have fun whatever!
 
Great info there guys just what I was looking for,can anyone elaborate on the use of the ND filters please

John :)
 
The most useful neutral density filters are 0.6 and 0.9, dropping the exposure by 2 or 3 stops on the part of the frame covered by the filter. This equals out the generally large difference in exposure between the light and dark parts of the frame, but still mantains the detail which would otherwise be lost. there are soft and hard ND's, this refers to the transition between the "smoked" for want of a better word, and the "unsmoked" part of the filter.

I suggest for a fuller understanding, get for a tenner, the Lee filters book
"inspiring Professionals". available from them directly
http://www.leefilters.com/camera/
or call their number in Andover.

The book is absolutely excellent IMO, hope this helps.

George
 
BTW, I recommend this book for anyone interested in good photoghaphs, and it is very informative at the same time.
 
Sorry guys, their site is being re hashed, but there is a PDF of the catalogue which shows the ND's amongst other things.
Their phone no is:-

01264 366245.

Give me a shout if you need any more help.

George
 
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