Victor Harbour SA

[Reschsmooth]

We were in Adelaide for the long weekend and drove down to McLaren Vale and Victor Harbour.

These are some shots at Victor Harbour as the sun was setting.

C&C welcome - basically, I want feedback on how to take better sunset photos whilst including the sun in the photo.

P

A little overblown in the corner

[Justin]

Hey first two are great composition especially the second.

I'd straighten the first or is that an illusion with the horizon coming in closer on the right?

#3 is messy I can see the line from the pier but the mid fore-ground messes up the composition, you may also be too tight (small angle) on the fence line.

[digitor]

C&C welcome - basically, I want feedback on how to take better sunset photos whilst including the sun in the photo.

My tips are:

* Use a lens not too prone to flare

* Remove any filter (Even a good one knocks the crap out of your contrast when shooting into the sun)

This snap is of 'er indoors catching up on a penny dreadful while we were camped up on the Murray on the long weekend.

Taken with a 35/2, with a bit of fill flash (I was too lazy to get the flash off the camera, hence the nasty shadows - my excuse is I was halfway through cooking dinner)



Cheers

[Reschsmooth]

Thanks for the feedback - should I be getting really defensive about 'negative' feedback? (Sorry, read the earlier thread today from a forum 'friend').

I used the 17-35 lens but with the CPL.

Justin, the shore is closer on the right, but it could easily be crooked (I had just come from a day of wine tasting.

The second shot was pp'ed with duplicate layers, curves adjusted for the foreground and sky separately.

Digitor - which lens would you suggest is not prone to flare?

Justin, I see what you mean about the messy composition - when I took it, I was thinking the 'ramp' may add something, but I think if I took it differently with a wider angle and without the pier, it would be better.

Again, thanks for the feedback - I never give myself the chance to getting to a great place at sunset.

P

[digitor]

A lens with fewer elements usually has less flare and veiling glare (read: contrast reducing characteristics) - hence most primes are better than most zooms in this regard, given equally good coating and design. The 35 with only 6 elements is, as you can see, not too bad in this area.

It is an indication of the excellent quality of the 17-35 that it performs so well with 13 elements!

As for filters, a CPL has six surfaces to interfere with the light path - they are comprised of a piece of plastic sandwiched between two bits of glass. And they don't really do anything for you when shooting into the sun.

Cheers

[Reschsmooth]

Thanks Digitor - I guess I should have tried the 50mm in comparison with the 17-35, although obviously losing a lot of angle.

It was pure laziness that I didn't take the CPL off when shooting into or directly away from the sun.

Cheers

P