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Posts Tagged ‘Sunsets’

How to Predict Dramatic Sunsets

20 Jul

The post How to Predict Dramatic Sunsets appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Bruce Wunderlich.

Summer sunset over Marietta Ohio just after a storm had past through earlier in the afternoon.
“Red Sky”  Summer sunset over Marietta, Ohio

One question every child asks is, “Why is the sky blue?” But let’s look at why is the sky red at Sunset. Light from the sun is made up of all the colors in the rainbow. As the sunlight enters the earth’s atmosphere, the short wavelength of blue light is scattered in all directions, more than any of the other colors, causing the sky to be blue during the day.

At sunrise and sunset, the light has farther to travel due to the low angle of the sun in the sky. This causes the blue light to be blocked and scattered away, allowing the longer wavelengths of red and yellow colors to appear in the sky.

I am sure you wish there was some magic formula that could tell you exactly the night for photographing a beautiful sunset? It’s not that easy, but hopefully, we can discover some ways to increase your odds.

Let’s take a closer look at some other factors that will help you predict brilliantly-colored sunsets.

You have no doubt heard the saying “Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors’ delight”. This saying can also help you predict sunsets (and sunrises) if you know the weather forecast. Look for a red sky at sunrise ahead of a storm and at sunset after a storm. Knowing what to expect weather-wise is key to anticipating the right conditions for a shoot, so the first thing you need to do is find a good weather app or website.

A website such as Intellicast.com will give you a detailed hourly report for key factors: cloud cover, air quality, humidity, and wind speed.

Winter sunset after a snow storm.
Winter sunset after a snow storm.

Clouds and Cloud Cover

Clouds are a crucial factor to predicting dramatic sunsets, for without clouds there is not much to see.

One common misconception of brilliant sunsets is that clouds create the colors; in reality clouds only serve as the canvas to display the colors that the light is painting. High to mid-level clouds are the most effective canvases, as they will reflect the colors of the setting sun. Puffy clouds on the horizon at sunset will more than likely not allow the sun rays to pass through them, thus muting the colors. Lower clouds (such as dark rain-filled clouds) are not very helpful at reflecting much light.

If the clouds on the horizon are low and thick, the sun will not be able to shine through them. It is also worth noting that too many or too few clouds can be detrimental for an optimal photo, so check out your detailed weather report for cloud cover percentages between 30 to 70 percent at sunset.

You can observe cloud conditions in the afternoon and if the sky looks favorable, you can hope that these clouds will still be present at sunset. No guarantees, but if there is not much wind these clouds may stick around to create a beautiful sunset.

A brief description of fair weather clouds that may produce dramatic sunsets:

  • Cirrocumulus Clouds – These look like ripples on water. Blue sky is the usual backdrop.
  • Altocumulus Clouds – Often occur in sheets or patches with wavy, rounded masses or rolls, like little cotton balls. They are generally white or grey and usually appear after a storm.
  • Cumulus Clouds – Easily recognizable, large, white, and fluffy, often with flat bases.
  • Cirrus Clouds – Generally characterized by thin, wispy strands. These clouds arrive in advance of frontal systems indicating that weather conditions may soon deteriorate. Nevertheless, these are one of the best kind for photographing dramatic sunsets!
DSC_1917
If you see this kind of sky in the afternoon with calm winds, chances are good you are in for something special at sunset.
5939386215_2d2133ebcc_o

Clean Air

Clean air is very effective at scattering the blue light. For this reason, one of the best times for dramatic sunsets is right after a rain or wind storm. While lower clouds rarely reflect brilliant colors (as mentioned above), note that where the lower atmosphere is especially clean, as in over open oceans in tropical regions, more vivid colors are allowed pass through. This is the reason so many beautiful sunset images are captured in the tropics.

Humidity

The amount of humidity in the air will also have an effect on the colors of your sunset. Lower humidity will produce more vibrant colors. With higher humidity, the colors will be muted because of the water content in the atmosphere. The seasons of autumn and winter typically produce lower humidity than in the warmer seasons.

Wind

Wind is a factor that can either enhance or destroy a beautiful sunset. A change in wind direction can cause the clouds to develop ripples or billows, which can create a beautiful effect as the setting sun reflects a nice red glow onto the ripples.

Also, as established earlier, clean air will produce more brilliant colors, and a nice breeze before sunset can help clear the air.

Unfortunately, the wind can become a negative factor on those days when favorable clouds are present in the afternoon, but a weather front moves through with strong winds that remove those clouds and leave you with a clear sky at sunset.

This is another instance when a good weather app or weather website can give you an indication on its radar as to when a front may move through your area.

6022670360_25a65077ed_o

To summarize your sunset prediction, look for:

  • Mid to high-level clouds
  • 30 to 70 percent cloud coverage
  • Clean air
  • Lower humidity
  • Calm winds

A final thought to consider when photographing sunsets – sometimes the afterglow of the sunset, which can occur 15 to 20 minutes after the sun goes behind the horizon, can be much more spectacular than the actual sunset.

Generally, all these weather-related rules also apply to photographing sunrise, but the visual signs are more difficult to spot since it is darkest before the dawn. A good time to photograph at sunrise is in the fall and winter when it occurs later in the day than in the summer months.

Do you have any other tips for predicting dramatic sunsets? Please share some of your favorite sunset images. Who doesn’t love a good sunset? If you want some tips for shooting the great sunset you’ve found try: 8 Simple Guidelines for Capturing Spectacular Sunrise and Sunset Images

The post How to Predict Dramatic Sunsets appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Bruce Wunderlich.


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Weekly Photography Challenge: Sunsets – With Prizes from ViewBug

26 May

Who doesn’t love a good sunset? It’s colorful and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, right?

Think you can take a great sunset photo? It’s not as easy as just pointing your camera at the sun. In this week’s photography challenge it’s time to get out and shoot some sunsets and share your images with us.

Need some tips? Try these dPS articles:

  • 5 Reasons Why Your Sunrise or Sunset Photos Don’t Look So Stunning
  • How to Take Better Sunset Photos
  • How to Plan and Take Killer Sunset Photos on Your Next Vacation
  • How to Shoot Stunning Photos at Sunrise and Sunset
  • Tips for Location Scouting to Get the Perfect Sunset Photograph
  • Tips for Doing More Spectacular Sunset Photography

Weekly Photography Challenge – Sunsets

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

Win Prizes from ViewBug

We’re excited to introduce a sponsor and prizes for this week’s challenge. ViewBug is the World’s biggest photo contest community with over 70 contests always open for submissions. Win prizes, exposure, and the bragging rights. It’s FREE to join! This week, ViewBug will be awarding three winners prizes!

One Challenge winner will receive 1 year of ViewBug PRO ($ 139 value) plus a free photography logo bundle ($ 59 value). Two Runners Up will receive a 1 year of ViewBug Premium ($ 59 value) plus a free photography logo bundle ($ 59 value).

To Enter

Participate in the challenge as you normally would (as described above) by posting your photo. To be considered for a prize you just need to complete the entry form below (or via this link) and submit your photo.

The Contest is open continuously from 05:00 am Australian Eastern Standard Time (“AEST”) on May 26, 2018 (03:00 pm United States Eastern Daylight Time (“EDT”) on May 25, 2018), through June 2nd 2018, 04:59am AEST (June 1st, 2018, 02:59pm EDT) (the “Contest Promotion Period”).

Full Terms and Conditions Digital Photography School Weekly Challenge Sunset – ViewBug T&C

Winners are announced on the Weekly Challenge Winners page on 9th of June.

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The post Weekly Photography Challenge: Sunsets – With Prizes from ViewBug appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Days Inn is advertising a $10k summer gig shooting sunsets around the US

03 May

Here’s an interesting opportunity for any landscape photographers who need a “summer job” in the most literal sense of the term.

Wyndham Hotels’ property Days Inn—which features a rising Sun as its logo—has posted a job add seeking a photographer to serve as its “Sun-tern” for a one-month gig this summer. The chosen photographer will capture images of the sunset in cities around the US, providing them to Days Inn for use in hotel properties, on the company’s social media accounts, and more.

Days Inn is offering a $ 10,000 stipend for the gig, paid travel expenses, Wyndham Rewards Diamond status, as well as “a glowing recommendation upon completion of the Sun-ternship from Barry Goldstein, Wyndham Hotel Group’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.”

The company is seeking “a creative amateur photographer,” according to the Sun-ternship Web page. Applicants must be at least 21-years-old, located in the US, and have an open schedule during the project. Anyone can submit an application via email until May 20th, and all applicants should include an original outdoor photo as well as 100 words detailing “why you’re the best person for the job.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Snapchat ‘sky filters’ use augmented reality to replace the sky with stars, sunsets and more

27 Sep

File this one under minor smartphone photography news: it seems Snapchat is using its augmented reality powers to expose non-photographers to the magic of dropping a new sky into your photos. The newly released feature—dubbed ‘sky filters’—can take a regular boring old blue sky and replace it with a colorful sunset, starry night scene, and more.

Sky Filters are already rolling out now to both iOS and Android users, and like their other AR features, this one will rotate daily so you can experience a variety of world-bending effects.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Mosh Pits and Sunsets: Shooting with the Panasonic GX85

07 Jun

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Real World Experience 

An evening of challenge light, both in terms of temperature and brightness, couldn’t stop the Panasonic GX85. Edited to taste in ACR. ISO 3200, 1/500 sec at F2.8. Shot at 50mm (equiv. ) using the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 lens.SO 3200

I’ve been working on our forthcoming review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 for two weeks now and as I put the finishing touches on the technical portion of the write-up, I wanted to share some highlights of my shooting experience with the camera, specially in two very different shooting environments.

While I’ve been using the GX85 to shoot street photos and portraits of friends, this past Saturday I brought it along to a music festival in Seattle’s industrial SoDo neighborhood called Big BLDG Bash. I shoot a lot of live music for my blog, mostly with a Nikon D750, 50mm F1.8, 20mm F1.8 and flash. But after using the GX85 for a couple of weeks, I felt relatively confident in the Panasonic’s ability to keep up.

The GX85 handled challenging AF scenarios all night long. Out of camera JPEG.  ISO 6400, 1/500 sec at F4.5. Shot at 50mm (equiv. ) using the Lumix G Panasonic 25mm F1.7 lens. 

Seven stages, both indoor and outdoor, gave me a chance to test out the GX85’s autofocus and overall performance in a variety of scenarios. And the non-stop music meant that this would be a good test of the battery life, too. 

Of course after a night of rocking out I figured the GX85 needed some peace and quiet, so I also brought it shooting around one of my favorite places in Seattle: Golden Gardens, a beach along the city’s Northwest coast. There I put the GX85’s articulating touchscreen and near-silent electronic shutter to good use as I photographed both strangers and other wildlife enjoying the beautiful day and later, the sunset.

I love articulating LCDs, especially ones with touch interfaces. The GX85 makes it so simple to get creative with your framing. Edited to taste in ACR. ISO 640, 1/640 sec at F2.8. Shot at 48mm (equiv. ) using the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8. 

Rock and roll

But let’s start with some rock and roll. I arrived at the venue around 9:00pm, with plans to shoot as many acts as possible, using mostly available light, until everything wrapped up around 2am. 

Since starting work on the GX85, I’ve found myself very attached to the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7. Maybe because it reminds me so much of using my own Nikon 50mm F1.8. Both are lightweight, affordable lenses that offer excellent results. I also brought along the Lumix G Vario 7-14mm F4 lens. 

Panasonic’s Depth from Defocus technology is really impressive. Having already run the GX85 through our AF test (more on that in the forthcoming review) I knew it was more than capable of maintaining focus on a moving subject while shooting at 6 fps. But that testing had been done in bright daylight, and I was eager to see if those results would hold up in low light.

Great Spiders is one of Seattle’s best rock and roll bands. This image in particular was shot one-handed as a cold one graced my other hand during the set — a crucial part of real world testing. Edited to taste in ACR. ISO 6400, 1/320 sec at F1.8. Shot at 50mm (equiv. ) using the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 lens.

Looking back through my images shot in continuous drive at 6 fps I am impressed. The hit rate isn’t quite what I enjoy with my full frame DSLR (nor did I expect it to be), but it’s still very high.

The majority of the show was shot using a single point in continuous AF mode. One of my absolute favorite features is touch-pad AF. With one’s eye to the finder, simply touch the screen with your thumb to drag your AF point around. The GX85 is remarkably responsive in this regard; and shooting with touch-pad AF is ridiculously simple. 

I did also try using both face detect and subject tracking, two AF modes I’ve had success using in good light, but had poor results in this environment, which is not all that surprising given the challenging shooting conditions.

Edited to taste in ACR. ISO 6400, 1/500 sec at F4.5. Shot at 14mm (equiv. ) using the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm F4 lens.

Overall, I was very happy with the GX85’s performance at Big BLDG Bash. Sure I got some funny looks from dual-DSLR-toting hot-shots, but after field testing cameras like the Sigma Quattro, I’m use to that. One of the best feature of the GX85 is how light it is, especially with lenses like the 25 F1.7, 7-14 F4 and even the 12-35mm F2.8. All of those, with the exception of the 25mm are image stabilized lenses, meaning they can take advantage of the GX85’s Dual I.S. system which combines sensor and lens based image stabilization.

Of course, IS doesn’t do a whole lot for me if I’m shooting stills of bands thrashing around stage, but for hand-held video, it is a true blessing.

Shot at ISO 6400 1/50 sec F4 in 4k/24p. Shot at 50mm (equiv.) using the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 lens.

Though my experience with the GX85 at Big BLDG Bash was largely positive, I did have some frustrations: Many times I found myself attempting to flip the camera on in a hurry in an effort to capture a fleeting moment of rock and roll glory, only to accidentally switch the camera to video mode and initiate video capture.

This unfortunate occurrence is due to the illogical placement of the mode dial in relation to the on/off switch. The mode dial sits directly above the on/off switch, and because Manual Video mode is directly to the left of Manual mode on the mode dial, it’s easy to bump the dial to this position while turning the camera on in a hurry. 

Also, Panasonic is one of the few companies that does not offer a minimum shutter speed setting in Auto ISO, something that would have been hugely helpful for me shooting fast subjects in low light.

Donormaal performing at the Hangar 1 stage. Edited to taste in ACR. ISO 6400, 1/400 sec at F1.7. Shot at 50mm (equiv. ) using the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 lens.

By 11pm my first battery died. By 1am my second battery died. Around 1000 images and 20 videos into the show and the GX85 was dead. Good thing I packed my Nikon just in case!

Beach day

The next day I made my way out to Golden Gardens which is about a 10 mile bike ride from my apartment. A backpack packed to the brim with picnic supplies left little room for camera gear, fortunately the GX85 with 12-35mm F2.8 was just small enough to make the cut. 

Once I got to Golden Gardens and started shooting, one of the GX85’s biggest pitfalls became more apparent, specifically, in regard to its field sequential 16:9 electronic viewfinder. While in low light, color tearing and the rather small image view (due to displaying a 3:4 image in a 16:9 aspect ratio) is less noticeable, it is VERY noticeable in bright light. For these reasons I stuck to shooting using the LCD only while at Golden Gardens. This of course put me in flare’s way, fortunately the GX85 can be operated with one hand, freeing your other hand to shade the sun’s rays from the LCD. 

I don’t shoot birds in flight, I prefer birds at rest. Out of camera JPEG shot in the Scenery JPEG style . ISO 200, 1/1600 sec at F3.5.  Shot at 70mm (equiv. ) using the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 lens.

In fact, I spent the majority of the day using the touchscreen with the camera set to it electronic shutter mode. This allowed to discreetly take images, whether of folks walking through the frame, or waterfowl. Speaking of the E-shutter, I am happy to report that at no time was I forced to use it to avoid shutter shock. The GX85 features a newly designed shutter that appears immune from the issues we’ve experienced with previous M43 cameras.

The scenic views also gave me a chance to try out some of the GX85’s JPEG picture styles. The above scene was taken using using the ‘Scenery’ style, while the below was taken using the new ‘L.monochrome’ style. 

Out of camera JPEG shot in the L.monochrome style. ISO 200 at 1/320, F9. Shot at 70mm (equiv. ) using the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 lens. 

The GX85 offers four customizable buttons, one of which I assigned to ‘Photo Style,’ for easy access. The new L.moncohrome picture style is pretty cool in certain shooting scenarios . And it’s nice to see Panasonic jumping into the fun of releasing a moody analog b/w mode. I really hope this trend of trying to capture specific film ‘looks’ in JPEG profiles continues. I much prefer it to the trend of tacky creative filters.

Back to custom buttons, I left the Quick menu assigned to its default and assigned another button to toggle the touchscreen on/off. I set the final button to ‘Focus area set,’ so that I could still move my AF point while using the LCD with the touchscreen off.  

While I mostly shot using the touch functionality, I occasionally found that when shooting vertically, my nose would move the AF point. Which is both hilarious and frustrating.

The Takeaway

The GX85 is an excellent choice for street photographers, though I wish it was weather-sealed. Out of camera JPEG. ISO 200, 1/80 sec at F2.8 Shot at 52mm using the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 lens. 

The GX85 is arguably Panasonic’s most compelling camera to date. Sure, it doesn’t use the new 20MP Four Thirds chip from the GX8, but it makes good use of its 16MP sensor by removing the AA filter for better detail retention. Moreover, its new shutter mechanism means that shutter shock is a non-issue. And its 5-axis in camera IS makes it the steadiest Panasonic M43 camera to date, not to mention its offers outstanding 4K video. But most importantly, its a really fun and practical camera to shoot with, regardless of whether you’re shooting a concert in the dark, or a lazy day at the beach. 

Now, should someone buy this over (say) a Sony a6000? Before I answer that, let me make it clear that the reason I compare the GX85 to the a6000 is because despite its age, the latter is probably the camera I end up recommending most to friends and family, due to its excellent all-round performance and price point. 

Another low angle shot brought to you thanks to the GX85’s articulating touchscreen. And yes, the seaweed was very smelly. Thankfully, I did not have to lay in it.  Out of camera JPEG. ISO 200, 1/500 sec at F14. Shot at 52mm (equiv.) using the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 lens. 

In short, reasons to purchase the GX85 over an a6000: Better/more affordable lens selection, excellent sensor-based IS (plus Dual I.S.), an outstanding touchscreen with class-leading interface and excellent 4K video. On the other hand, with the Sony, you get a better EVF, better overall image quality and a hybrid AF system. Though the GX85 handles itself quite well in the last two regards.  

At the end of the day, the GX85 is a great camera, with a couple of things, like its EVF and fumbly controls holding it back. But as a complete package, it has a lot going for it. Enough so that I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a lightweight, capable interchangeable lens camera.

Out of camera JPEG. ISO 200, 1/400 sec at F5. Shot at 70mm (equiv.) using thePanasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 lens.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Real World Samples

65 images • Posted on May 26, 2016 • View album
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Vintage Cars x Modern Sunsets SF Bay Area Photowalk This Saturday

22 Apr

AWESOME PHOTOWALK IN THE SFBAY AREA THIS SATURDAY

Priime is hosting an exclusive photo event + photo walk that starts at a Sports Car Museum in Corte Madera, at the base of Mount Tamalpais, then moves to a fantastic vantage point to shoot above the fog from the top of Mount Tam.

The event starts this coming Saturday, April 25, 2015 at 4pm.

4pm – 6pm: food, photos, and photographers
6pm – 8pm: sunset on Mount Tamalpais

I’ll be making a few remarks about my own photography at this event, but am mostly just looking forward to hanging out with other photographers.

You can RSVP here, but there is limited space!

See you there! :)


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Predicting Dramatic Sunsets

10 Oct
Summer sunset over Marietta Ohio just after a storm had past through earlier in the afternoon.

“Red Sky”  Summer sunset over Marietta, Ohio

One question every child asks is, “Why is the sky blue?” But let’s look at why is the sky red at Sunset. Light from the sun is made up of all the colors in the rainbow. As the sunlight enters the earth’s atmosphere, the short wave length of blue light is scattered in all directions, more than any of the other colors, causing the sky to be blue during the day. At sunrise and sunset, the light has farther to travel due to the low angle of the sun in the sky. This causes the blue light to be blocked and scattered away, allowing the longer wave lengths of red and yellow colors to appear in the sky.

I am sure you wish there was some magic formula that could tell you exactly the night for photographing a beautiful sunset? It’s not that easy, but hopefully we can discover some ways to increase your odds.

Let’s take a closer look at some other factors that will help you predict brilliantly colored sunsets. You have no doubt heard the saying “Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors’ delight”. This saying can also help you predict sunsets (and sunrises) if you know the weather forecast. Look for a red sky at sunrise ahead of a storm and at sunset after a storm. Knowing what to expect weather-wise is key to anticipating the right conditions for a shoot, so the first thing you need to do is find a good weather app or website. A website such as Intellicast.com will give you a detailed hourly report for key factors: cloud cover, air quality, humidity, and wind speed.

Winter sunset after a snow storm.

Winter sunset after a snow storm.

Clouds and Cloud Cover

Clouds are a crucial factor to predicting dramatic sunsets, for without clouds there is not much to see. One common misconception of brilliant sunsets is that clouds create the colors; in reality clouds only serve as the canvas to display the colors that the light is painting. High to mid-level clouds are the most effective canvases, as they will reflect the colors of the setting sun. Puffy clouds on the horizon at sunset will more than likely not allow the sun rays to pass through them, thus muting the colors. Lower clouds (such as dark rain-filled clouds) are not very helpful at reflecting much light. If the clouds on the horizon are low and thick the sun will not be able to shine through them. It is also worth noting that too many or too few clouds can be detrimental for an optimal photo, so check out your detailed weather report for cloud cover percentages between 30 to 70 percent at sunset.

You can observe cloud conditions in the afternoon and if the sky looks favorable, you can hope that these clouds will still be present at sunset. No guarantees, but if there is not much wind these clouds may stick around to create a beautiful sunset.

A brief description of fair weather clouds that may produce dramatic sunsets:

  • Cirrocumulus Clouds – These look like ripples on water. Blue sky is the usual backdrop.
  • Altocumulus Clouds – Often occur in sheets or patches with wavy, rounded masses or rolls, like little cotton balls. They are generally white or grey, and usually appear after a storm.
  • Cumulus Clouds – Easily recognizable, large, white, and fluffy, often with flat bases.
  • Cirrus Clouds – Generally characterized by thin, wispy strands. These clouds arrive in advance of frontal systems indicating that weather conditions may soon deteriorate. Nevertheless, these are one of the best kinds for photographing dramatic sunsets!
DSC_1917

If you see this kind of sky in the afternoon with calm winds, chances are good you are in for something special at sunset.

5939386215_2d2133ebcc_o

Clean Air

Clean air is very effective at scattering the blue light. For this reason one of the best times for dramatic sunsets is right after a rain or wind storm. While lower clouds rarely reflect brilliant colors (as mentioned above), note that where the lower atmosphere is especially clean, as in over open oceans in tropical regions, more vivid colors are allowed pass through. This is the reason so many beautiful sunset images are captured in the tropics.

Humidity

The amount of humidity in the air will also have an effect on the colors of your sunset. Lower humidity will produce more vibrant colors. With higher humidity the colors will be muted because of the water content in the atmosphere. The seasons of autumn and winter typically produce lower humidity than in the warmer seasons.

Wind

Wind is a factor that can either enhance or destroy a beautiful sunset. A change in wind direction can cause the clouds to develop ripples or billows, which can create a beautiful effect as the setting sun reflects a nice red glow onto the ripples. Also, as established earlier, clean air will produce more brilliant colors, and a nice breeze before sunset can help clear the air. Unfortunately, the wind can become a negative factor on those days when favorable clouds are present in the afternoon, but a weather front moves through with strong winds that remove those clouds and leaves you with a clear sky at sunset. This is another instance when a good weather app or weather website can give you an indication on its radar as to when a front may move through your area.

6022670360_25a65077ed_o

To summarize your sunset prediction, look for:

  • Mid to high level clouds
  • 30 to 70 percent cloud coverage
  • Clean air
  • Lower humidity
  • Calm winds

A final thought to consider when photographing sunsets – sometimes the afterglow of the sunset, which can occur 15 to 20 minutes after the sun goes behind the horizon, can be much more spectacular than the actual sunset.

Generally, all these weather-related rules also apply to photographing sunrise, but the visual signs are more difficult to spot since it is darkest before the dawn. A good time to photograph at sunrise is in the fall and winter when it occurs later in the day than in the summer months.

Do you have any other tips for predicting dramatic sunsets? Please share some of your favorite sunset images. Who doesn’t love a good sunset? If you want some tips for shooting the great sunset you’ve found try: 8 Simple Guidelines for Capturing Spectacular Sunrise and Sunset Images

The post Predicting Dramatic Sunsets by Bruce Wunderlich appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Shattered Sunsets: Broken Mirror Photos of Evening Skies

25 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Photography & Video. ]

broken mirror sky clouds

Spanning multiple feet in each direction, these giant-sized photo prints transform the light and color of ordinary sunset scenes, reflecting them through a chaotic lens of unpredictable distortions.

broken mirror evening sky

Bing Wright, a New York photographer, exhibited this series of abstract stained-glass-like landscapes of water, trees, clouds and sky earlier this year at the Paula Cooper Gallery.

broken mirror sunset photo

broken mirror orangered

Titled Broken Mirror /Evening Sky, the set represents a break from his black-and-white work of the past decade, dealing with issues of “depth of field, scale, surface and materiality” and of course: color.

broken mirror reds oranges

broken mirror blues purples

The result is a disjointed set of overlapping refractions and out-of-focus subjects that our mind then works to piece back together, and which compels us to consider the color before completely comprehending the composition.

broken reflection photo series

broken mirror whites blues

About the artist: “Bing Wright was born in Seattle in 1958 and received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Columbia University, New York. His work been shown in exhibitions at the New Museum, New York; White Columns, New York; the Queens Museum of Art, New York; and the Tang Museum and Art Gallery, Saratoga Springs, among others.”

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[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Photography & Video. ]

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It’s Not Always Sunsets and Kittens: Photographing the Tougher things in Life

02 Aug

Not every shoot I’ve done is full of lollipop promises, cute matching (but not too matching) outfits, and happy families throwing their kids up into a perfect blue sky with puffy cloud dreams.  In fact, typically the ones that didn’t, are among the most important pictures I have ever taken.  The ones that there are no road maps for, no instructions, and no cheat sheets.  Several years ago I photographed a beautiful wedding of a young couple deeply in love on a perfect July day.  I shot the wedding, went home, and put those images at the bottom of my “waiting to be edited” stack.  Which is where they stayed until I got a random call that the groom, a police officer, had gone missing in an attempt to save a young girl who had almost drowned in a fast moving river.  For three days rescue teams searched for him, until they found his body a day shy of his and his new bride’s first month anniversary.

I Googled everything I could think of in an attempt to edit the images, perfectly and quickly with poise and professionalism, as I knew that they would now would hold a gravity beyond what I could have ever imagined when I shot them.  I found nothing—no road map, no instructions, no guide for this massive task I had ahead of me.  Instead I holed up in my office for a weekend with a bottle of scotch and a case of tissues, emerging in time for them to be delivered to his bride at his memorial service.  Those images are now locked in a vault of sorts for me professionally, and I can only hope that by now they perhaps bring an amazing and strong woman great comfort and lovely memories of a beautiful day in her life.

Photography is a very powerful thing.  And having the ability to do it is an incredible gift.  Not all tough to photograph events will be dire, but do photography even just as a hobby for long enough and you will find yourself in situation beautiful in it’s complexity and the images you take poignant beyond words.

This is a picture of my dear friend, her son, and her son’s birth mom.  It’s out of focus and isn’t properly exposed.  The kid is wearing a Captain America costume and was feeling especially “spirited” on this day.  It is all of the makings of disaster.  Yet it is one of my favorite images and incredibly important to both myself and the people in it.  A picture doesn’t have to be technically perfect to be amazing.  Sometimes it’s just you being in the right place at the right time, hauling a camera in tow.  Sometimes it’s a matter of you being invited to something very special because you have been trusted to document it.  What a beautiful responsibility that is.  Sometimes it’s not about the where and the how you do it; it’s about that you showed up and did it.  The pictures you take may turn out perfect.  They may not.  Either way, they will be treasured as great gifts.

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Every once in a while I get asked to photograph someone (or a pet) who is gravely ill, or a funeral or memorial service.  I have never been in a situation personally to want a photographer at something like this, but I am always honored when asked to do something so significant.  This is one of those situations where if you have any reservations at all, you should politely decline.  It’s a heavy task, one that can only be done with complete focus and presence.  The first thing I do if I’ve been asked to photograph something like this is make absolutely certain that the immediate family members are all in agreement in wanting my services and what exactly that means to them.  While I have personal guidelines, I want to be sure that what they are wanting works with these, and also something I will be able to do with great compassion.  Each time I’ve photographed this type of situation I have come across someone that didn’t feel I should be there or was confused by my presence and camera.  My best advice is to reply very simply and quietly: “I was asked to be here today” and move on.  Not everyone will understand why a photographer was requested.  Often I don’t understand myself.  But I know that I am doing something important as part of a healing process for another and that’s reason enough.

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Sometimes the occasion is joyful and wonderful and still requiring of great tact and compassion.  Homecomings, be them military or adoption or just long awaited, fall into this category.  If you have been invited to something like this, take a moment to be a bit proud of yourself.  Go on—I’ll wait.  This means that you have been asked to be part of a moment so delicate and special that your abilities are obvious and you are trustworthy beyond measure.  Your camera may have been your golden ticket in the door, but your skills is what will get the job done.  This is one of the few times I stay completely out of the way and ask nothing of anyone.  I am there only to document, not set-up moments or force poses and smiles.  The event will happen so naturally and beautifully on it’s own that you need only to trust in yourself, stay alert and in the moment, and know that the most intense moments will happen very, very quickly.      IMG_0207b

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In my humble opinion, there is no greater honor than being trusted to photograph someone.  Making the honor of being asked to photograph a human coming into this world the highest of the high.  If you ever get the chance the witness life start, I highly recommend it.  Most of this is going to be common sense, but in this case, don’t shoot for the moon.  You are documenting something so special, so amazing, there is no need to force a specific shot.  In a perfect world, you’ll be allowed to stand near the mother, at the top of the bed (or similar), lessening the chances of angles that no one will want pictures of, and increasing the chances of being able to stay out of the way.  Photographing a birth is one of the only times I truly have to use everything I have to hold it together and do my job.  But it turns out you can focus (literally and figuratively) through a layer of tears pretty easily if you need to.  Much like birth itself, this is pure adrenaline; nothing to plan, no way of knowing what shots you are going to get.  I do like to always ask if there is something special that is hoped for—perhaps the first bath or a picture of the baby getting weighed.  Things like that are usually possible and of importance for some.  Photographing births is a game of hurry up and wait and only a couple of things are certain: good glass, a high ISO (no one wants a flash here and the room is often dark), and impeccable manners.

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These type of images may not end up being part of your portfolio, they may not be technically perfect in any way, but likely to someone they will mean everything.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

It’s Not Always Sunsets and Kittens: Photographing the Tougher things in Life


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DSLR Tips: How to take perfect sunsets

12 Jan

Full guide at: www.dslrtips.com / DSLR Tips: How to take perfect sunsets