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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

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.

Reschsmooth wrote: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

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

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

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