Sunset

Posted by Disoriented (Grinnell, IA, United States) on 25 April 2008 in Abstract & Conceptual.

I had trouble taking this shot of the sun setting over the ocean. The sun had a very strong flare (if that is the appropriate term?) that I couldn't tone down. It was washing out the blue sky and ocean quite a bit but this shot seemed to be the best one. Any thoughts aside from using Photoshop?

12/24/08: Grading is done. I'm packed and ready to go. I'll be off for vacation in San Francisco for a few days with family and friends. Happy holidays everyone!

KINDA' SORTA' FAMOUS?: I am happy to inform you that my shot of the glass canopy of Kogod Courtyard was featured as a banner for the blog of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery called Face to Face.

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Comments (4)

Alun Lambert from Cheshire, United Kingdom

very nice, you could just be walking along the shaw line.

25 Apr 2008 9:07am

@Alun Lambert: Thanks very much Alun! Good point.

Ron from Saint Louis, United States

I like the shot in spite of the overpowering light of the sun. You might check out the Canon website for tips on shooting sunsets. There's also a site call DigitalPhotographySchool that has lots of tips and techniques for shooting certain types of shots.

25 Apr 2008 6:39pm

@Ron: Thanks for the Canon reference, Ron. I'll check it out. I'm also a big fan of DPS; lots of great stuff.

Ian Bramham from Manchester, United Kingdom

I really like it and can't see why you'd want to 'improve' it.

If it's more warmth in the colours that you want, you could try selectively boosting saturation in just the sunset colours - orange red and yellow. The blue channel would make the sky punchier too but it's easy to overdo the blue and get degredation of the smooth tones that are central to this photo.

27 Apr 2008 9:45am

@Ian Bramham: Thanks Ian and I do appreciate your support. I think part of the problem was reconciling what I saw was a very deep blue ocean, a powder blue sky, and the beginning of an orange/golden sunset with what was captured on camera. Alun mentioned that I could have been walking along the shaw line. I suppose I could've waited a few more minutes for the sun to set a bit more ... ??? In the meantime, I'll try your suggestions and see what comes of it. =D

Ronnie 2¢ from London, United Kingdom

Well, it’s a good shot anyway but, yes, shooting at the sun can create problems – and danger in an SLR. You might have tried taking a range of shots in succession at different exposures and, even if you don’t want to bother with HDR, you can do some experimental blending depending on what programs you have.

27 Apr 2008 10:38am

@Ronnie 2¢: Thanks Ronnie 2¢! There was a funny moment when I thought to myself, "Shooting at the sun would give me a great excuse to go shop for a new camera."

Then I realized I was speaking aloud and my girlfriend was absolutely appalled at my devious scheme. Talk about an awkward moment, eh? =P

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