More luck with sunset this time

pniev

Student for life
after missing a GREAT sunset, I had more luck this time. It wasn't a spectacular sunset but it was a nice sunset with variety of colors. I also won't forget a story attached to these photos. While I sat in the sand near the sea and taking photos, a women was politely waiting until I completed one shot. She them moved forward but stopped right between the sun and me. So weird... Anyway, here are some photos (all with x-pro1 and 35mm). The first one was taken on my way to the beach so a bit earlier than the others.

Your advice how I could improve these type of photos next time will be very much appreciated! For example, should I bring an ND filter next time to make the sea more silky-looking?

Thanks, Peter

View attachment 75159
p1778280810-5.jpg

View attachment 75160
 
That's great advice, Sue! Thanks.
Perhaps a FF-sensor would be better for shots with sun in it?
Peter
 
ND filter better with Smooth water not choppy if that's the look you are after

I would think it would work to reduce the sun halo though
 
ND filter better with Smooth water not choppy if that's the look you are after

I would think it would work to reduce the sun halo though

Not necessarily. Stay later, slower shutter, tripod, done deal. You don't need FF. I've managed to get some decent ones with an XZ-1 and other similar compacts :) OR if you are time limited, as ReD says... ND filter.

Thanks for the advice. I will try these solutions. What would be a good type of ND filter (in terms of # of stops)?
 
ND filter darkens the entire image, so you'd lose some of the spectacular sky, too (unless you get a graduated ND filter, or bring the sky back in PP). You can simulate it by using smaller aperture and/or faster shutter speed and / or lower ISO until the halo disappears, and calculate the number of stops difference. In terms of silky water, if you still wanna try that, I don't know what kinda shutter speeds you're working with now, but it'd probably have to be a pretty strong ND filter to make such rough water appear smooth - maybe a shutter speed of one second or more?
 
ND filter darkens the entire image, so you'd lose some of the spectacular sky, too (unless you get a graduated ND filter, or bring the sky back in PP). You can simulate it by using smaller aperture and/or faster shutter speed and / or lower ISO until the halo disappears, and calculate the number of stops difference. In terms of silky water, if you still wanna try that, I don't know what kinda shutter speeds you're working with now, but it'd probably have to be a pretty strong ND filter to make such rough water appear smooth - maybe a shutter speed of one second or more?

Thanks. I will experiment a bit more although I tried multiple exposures and even tried to combine them into a HDR type of shot. Didn't work well either (artificial look) but I have to be patient and try harder.

Thanks!

Peter
 
ND filter darkens the entire image, so you'd lose some of the spectacular sky, too (unless you get a graduated ND filter, or bring the sky back in PP). You can simulate it by using smaller aperture and/or faster shutter speed and / or lower ISO until the halo disappears, and calculate the number of stops difference. In terms of silky water, if you still wanna try that, I don't know what kinda shutter speeds you're working with now, but it'd probably have to be a pretty strong ND filter to make such rough water appear smooth - maybe a shutter speed of one second or more?

The shots I've seen which were spectacular were 10 stop & over 3 - 10 mins

I'll post a link later
 
Google Image Result for http://pcdn.500px.net/10421183/bed582eaf1e7a4e53517315683b8e59893fc2a0e/4.jpg

edit this was his advice on another photo when I asked about getting a reflection as well as silky

If the water is even a little bit still then you will get a fairly true reflection. Obviously the flatter the better. Most ten stop filters are not exactly right. I think even Lee advertise a range of 9 1/3 to 10 2/3. I started with a B&W 10 stopper which is a fair bit stronger. I have to add 25% to any calculated exposure. I always set up with whatever grads I have on first. Get the composition right and take a test shot without the ten stopper fitted. I then check to see if any exposure compensation is needed. If the exposure on the test shot is fine I then work out the exposure needed, attach the 10 stop filter and take the shot. There are a couple of minor other things I do as well but thats how I go about working out the exposure time.

edit better link here

Landscape photography inspiration from Mark Littlejohn | The D-Photo
 
If you're wanting reflections, starting out without rough water is always good. You can flatten surf quite easily with a long shutter, but you'll also end up with a ton more light in there so you have to do something to reduce that. The time of day will determine just how much.

Here's a couple of examples of what I mean...

Taken just on sunset, on Lake Macquarie, NSW Australia on a fairly still day, it could have benefited from a shightly longer exposure and a tripod... but I was shooting handheld with a tiny Olympus P&S
View attachment 75191
Lake Macquarie by kyte50, on Flickr

Taken in the middle of a very very bright shiny day, on Newcastle Harbour, when the wind was blowing a gale. Stacked ND8/ND400 filters. I dont know how many stops that is, just know it worked.
8348710144_b5fa547b41_c.jpg

Ferry Landing 1 by kyte50, on Flickr

Shot on a long shutter (5 secs) on the XZ-1 with tripod, just before sunrise
6449035917_34d96e1607_z.jpg

Canoe Pool 5am by kyte50, on Flickr

The other thing to remember with those shots of the kite surfer, is that a long shutter will blur that out, or lose him completely, depending on how you do it. TBH, I really like both those exactly as they are.
 
Those are amazing shots!
It may not work with turbulent seas but it is worth trying. First buy the ND-filter(s). ;-)

Google Image Result for http://pcdn.500px.net/10421183/bed582eaf1e7a4e53517315683b8e59893fc2a0e/4.jpg

edit this was his advice on another photo when I asked about getting a reflection as well as silky

If the water is even a little bit still then you will get a fairly true reflection. Obviously the flatter the better. Most ten stop filters are not exactly right. I think even Lee advertise a range of 9 1/3 to 10 2/3. I started with a B&W 10 stopper which is a fair bit stronger. I have to add 25% to any calculated exposure. I always set up with whatever grads I have on first. Get the composition right and take a test shot without the ten stopper fitted. I then check to see if any exposure compensation is needed. If the exposure on the test shot is fine I then work out the exposure needed, attach the 10 stop filter and take the shot. There are a couple of minor other things I do as well but thats how I go about working out the exposure time.

edit better link here

Landscape photography inspiration from Mark Littlejohn | The D-Photo
 
Your advice is very much appreciated, Sue. I am (pleasantly) surprised by the result of the ND8 filter on a rough sea. That should work here too. The odds of a relatively flat sea are basically nil.

Your photos are amazing!

If you're wanting reflections, starting out without rough water is always good. You can flatten surf quite easily with a long shutter, but you'll also end up with a ton more light in there so you have to do something to reduce that. The time of day will determine just how much.

The other thing to remember with those shots of the kite surfer, is that a long shutter will blur that out, or lose him completely, depending on how you do it. TBH, I really like both those exactly as they are.
 
Follow-up with some shots of yesterday evening. The beach shots were taken with 60mm (90mm FFeq) unfortunately w/o ND-filter and no reflections. :mad: Couldn't find an 8-12 stops filter yet. I left before the real redness of a later time was visible. I stayed until the sun was down and the colors became flatter rather than more colorful so I left. Wrong choice. When I got home, I saw some intense reds in the sky. Another learning point. :D The mist shots were taken with 2 stop ND-filter which I already had in my bag, resulting in 2sec shutterspeed (BTW: the purple became clearly visible after increasing saturation a bit).

View attachment 75234
View attachment 75235
p1727644785-5.jpg

View attachment 75236
 
Back
Top