Thursday, July 16, 2020

SUNSETS & SUNRISES


I think it's safe to say we all like photos of sunsets and sunrises. Here are two key points to remember: 1) The sun doesn't always have to be visible in the scene. The colors, tones, and moods produced are also part of those special life moments. 2) Don't just take a picture of the sun setting or rising. Photograph something at sunset or sunrise. That can be a grouping of trees, structures, a river, a landscape, etc

Composition is always the first on my checklist. I make sure I have the best possible composition, before the sun comes up, or sets. I spend an entire chapter on composition in my book, Right Brain Photography. Without a good composition, I end up with a weak image, which forces me to grab the viewers attention through exaggerated sharpness, off-the-wall colors, and getting the same lighting exposure throughout the image. A viewer not trained in composition can be easily awed by those components. 

 
Speaking of exposure. remember, there is no such thing as the "correct" exposure. There is only the right exposure, and that exposure is based on how you want the image to look. If you want every inch of the image to be equally exposed, that is no shadows or bright areas, you might to apply an HDR approach at the time you take the picture, then make adjustments with your software of choice. However, if you want to create mood, intrigue, or even a spiritual feel to the image, take advantage of the exposure compensation dial on your camera and experiment with it. When you do that, you're creating the right exposure, for you.

As for depth of field, I always want as much depth of field as possible, even though it won't be a major factor with images with large shadow areas. I'd rather have more f/stop than I need--nothing worse than getting an image with "soft" (out of focus) areas. 

Focusing. As a rule of thumb, I usually place my focus point roughly one-third from the bottom of the viewfinder. Depth of field covers roughly one-third in front of and two-thirds behind the focus point, thus my rule of thumb.

If you still need clarification on the points mentioned above, please contact me. In today's "Corona Fog" world, I offer 1-on-1 Zoom lessons. 

Okay then, let's move on to see how all this looks in a real photo. Let's start with this one.
I was at this spot on the Kings River in northern Arkansas thirty minutes before sunrise. I don't use those sunrise/sunset apps. Why? Engineer-driven sunrises are not the same as a photographer's sunrise. 

There is always some fine-tuning after the fact. Cameras, lenses, and light exposure meters are not perfect. For this image, I darkened the bright yellows of the sunrise and let the shadows untouched. When we try too hard to get that "perfect" picture, it ruins the mood, leaving us with a perfectly exposed photo. Obviously, if that is your goal, taking an HDR approach is the way to go. I like mood, feelings. sensations. In addition to satisfying myself, I  want my viewers to experience what I experienced when I was there. I don't want them to simply be impressed with my computer technical skills.   

                               ISO 100; +1/3 overexposure; f/29 gave me a slow shutter speed,
                               which gave a sense of motion in the water     


I had to work fast for this sunrise over the Ozarks. First, I saw the interesting landscape, with the fog hovering over the canyon below--that was my subject. The sun was secondary. 
To darken the image I underexposed the scene by a -1.3. I set my White Balance to florescent to add mood. The placement of the sun and the tree in the foreground was part of my composition, which I explain further in my book.


                     f/25 to get that sunburst; ISO 400 to "freeze" the sun with a shutter speed of 1/1250



This was a sunset, also in Arkansas, atop Petit Jean Mountain. Even though I applied HDR,using only three images, I made sure the scene maintained shadows in order to retain the feeling of awe most of us experience at sunset. My primary reason for applying HDR was to hold back (darken) the exposure in the sky. That V-shape in the upper right hand corner of the scene was actually there. I had never seen that before. 

                               With a wide angle lens (focal length 20mm), all I needed was f/16


There are some cabins west of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The name of the outfit is Can-U-Canoe. West of these cabins is an awesome view that gives the illusion of an island. Actually, it's just the White River meandering around a large bend, but from that perspective it looks like an island. I got permission from the owner to set up on the deck of one of her cabins. What a view I got that evening right after sunset. 

I could have "stitched" two or three images together, but a 10mm focal length gave me enough of the entire scene. 

                       ISO 100; f/10 (not much needed with a 10mm focal length); -2/3 underexposure 
  


This beautiful historic hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas was the setting for this sunrise. Remember that large f/stops (f/20 or larger) give us those cool sunbursts. 

                      ISO 100; f/20; +1 overexposure to keep detail in the hotel and open up shadows)



Let's now go to Texas. I found this cool abandoned ranch house north of Dallas. No, it isn't the same house used for the 1980s TV show "Dallas." It was the perfect subject for a sunset. At the beginning of this blog I advised to photograph something at sunset, rather than use the sunset as the subject. This is what I mean. I used film for this image--no metadata available.





Just a few miles east of Dallas is Fort Worth. That is where I found this early morning scene. This too was with film. That day, I was walking on a dry river bed toward downtown Fort Worth. My main objective was to get a good sunrise shot of the skyline. However, as I always do during my walks and hikes, I like to turn around occasionally to make sure there isn't anything behind me worth a photograph. I did just that when I saw this scene! I used an FLD filter, which I still use today, to alter the color in the scene. 


 


One of the least known canyons in Colorado is Eldorado Canyon near Boulder.Though small, it is worth exploring. I did just that one morning, hoping for a good sunrise. I wasn't disappointed! For this image, unlike others, I made sure I got detail in the awesome mountainsides, which serve as bookends to the flowing creek. 





Ahhh, and sometimes, if we're lucky, we get that alpenglow at sunrise (or sunset) in the mountains! Now, those are the mornings you thank yourself for getting up at 4:30. This image was created at 5:19 am! It was darker than the image appears.

If you ever visit Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, add Sprague Lake to your bucket list. 


                   ISO 800 to "freeze" ripples on lake; f/11; underexposed -1 2/3 to keep
                   the 
scene from being overexposed 




As an overview: Get there thirty minutes before sunrise to get your composition just right.Take advantage of that exposure compensation dial to bracket your shots. Use high f/stops, f/20 or more, to get those sunbursts. Don't worry about the "correct" exposure--get it right, for you! 


Of the nine images I shared, six were created early in the morning. So, for those of you who are not morning people, shake it off and go out and add some gems to your collection. But, if not, there is always late evening. In either case, go out and experiment, explore, be bold, and, most of all, have fun! 

If you need some personal 1-on-1 help and tips, contact me and we'll set up a Zoom chat.


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