Best settings for dawn, dusk and evening shots?

Got a thin skin? Then look elsewhere. Post a link to an image that you've made, and invite others to offer their critiques. Honesty is encouraged, but please be positive in your constructive criticism. Flaming and just plain nastiness will not be tolerated. Please note that this is not an area for you to showcase your images, nor is this a place for you to show-off where you have been. This is an area for you to post images so that you may share with us a technique that you have mastered, or are trying to master. Typically, no more than about four images should be posted in any one post or thread, and the maximum size of any side of any image should not exceed 950 px.

Moderators: Greg B, Nnnnsic, Geoff, Glen, gstark, Moderators

Forum rules
Please note that image critiquing is a matter of give and take: if you post images for critique, and you then expect to receive criticism, then it is also reasonable, fair and appropriate that, in return, you post your critique of the images of other members here as a matter of courtesy. So please do offer your critique of the images of others; your opinion is important, and will help everyone here enjoy their visit to far greater extent.

Also please note that, unless you state something to the contrary, other members might attempt to repost your image with their own post processing applied. We see this as an acceptable form of critique, but should you prefer that others not modify your work, this is perfectly ok, and you should state this, either within your post, or within your signature.

Images posted here should conform with the general forum guidelines. Image sizes should not exceed 950 pixels along the largest side (height or width) and typically no more than four images per post or thread.

Please also ensure that you have a meaningful location included in your profile. Please refer to the FAQ for details of what "meaningful" is.

Best settings for dawn, dusk and evening shots?

Postby Photodude on Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:29 am

Hi all,

I am off to Bali for 2 weeks this weekend
I am taking my beloved D70 and a tripod
BUT I have no previous experience with dawn, dusk or evening shots

Bali has beautiful lighting and I wish to try and capture some sunset / sunrises etc.

I generally shoot in aperture priority mode

Any tips GREATLY appreciated

Thanks :D

John
User avatar
Photodude
Member
 
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 2:44 pm
Location: Wollongong

Re: Best settings for dawn, dusk and evening shots?

Postby birddog114 on Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:51 am

Photodude wrote:Hi all,

I am off to Bali for 2 weeks this weekend
I am taking my beloved D70 and a tripod
BUT I have no previous experience with dawn, dusk or evening shots

Bali has beautiful lighting and I wish to try and capture some sunset / sunrises etc.

I generally shoot in aperture priority mode

Any tips GREATLY appreciated

Thanks :D

John


Lucky guy you're, heading off to Bali again! I thought you went there last January.
Make sure you make your luggage safe with tampered proof :roll:
Birddog114
VNAF, My Beloved Country and Airspace
User avatar
birddog114
Senior Member
 
Posts: 15881
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 8:18 pm
Location: Belmore,Sydney

Postby Glen on Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:15 pm

My tip is the same as Birddy's, they now gladwrap your luggage at the airport for I think $8 per bag. Buy a couple of rolls and do it at home, save a bomb. Don't know if you have noticed but there have also been a few aussies arrested for .7 or 1.8 grams of hashish, smaller than a five cent piece, so stay away from anyone who talks about drugs to you, they are probably getting a kickback from the police.

Look forward to seeing your shots
User avatar
Glen
Moderator
 
Posts: 11819
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Sydney - Neutral Bay - Nikon

Re: Best settings for dawn, dusk and evening shots?

Postby MCWB on Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:33 pm

Birddog114 wrote:Make sure you make your luggage safe with tampered proof :roll:

What Birdy and Glen said. Also don't strap heroin to your body, and you'll be fine! :lol:

In terms of shooting, depends what effect you're after! I usually use M mode, matrix metering (or spot if I'm after a particular effect), and check both aperture and shutter speed are in the range I'd like, then manually bracket if you feel the need. Shoot RAW too obviously. One thing I'd recommend is to trust the meter rather than the LCD: I thought last week's POTW was horribly overexposed when I looked at it on the LCD, and as a result underexposed each subsequent pic by about a stop! :(
User avatar
MCWB
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2121
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 10:55 pm
Location: Epping/CBD, Sydney-D200, D70

Postby Matt. K on Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:22 pm

Can you take a package for me? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Regards

Matt. K
User avatar
Matt. K
Former Outstanding Member Of The Year and KM
 
Posts: 9981
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:12 pm
Location: North Nowra

Re: Best settings for dawn, dusk and evening shots?

Postby ozonejunkie on Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:01 pm

MCWB wrote:One thing I'd recommend is to trust the meter rather than the LCD: I thought last week's POTW was horribly overexposed when I looked at it on the LCD, and as a result underexposed each subsequent pic by about a stop! :(


Being an EOS user, I have noticed that increasing the backlight strength gives a better impression of the "real" image. The factory settings on the 300D are for minimum back light strength, and makes pics look underexposed, when they are not necessarily so.

I have now set them to 80%, and you can pick the exposure better.

My $0.02. :D

Cheers,
Tristan
User avatar
ozonejunkie
Member
 
Posts: 353
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 4:52 pm
Location: ANU, Canberra - EOS 30D

Postby Photodude on Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:48 pm

Thanks for the tips

Definitely locking all bags

Birddog you have a good memory - was there not long ago - but cant wait to get back - sufer and photographer's paradise :)

Matt - sure can take a package over for ya - might get to share a cell with Shapelle :roll:

Will post some (hopefully) nice pictures in a few weeks time
User avatar
Photodude
Member
 
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 2:44 pm
Location: Wollongong

Postby KerryPierce on Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:50 pm

If you're going to do a lot of low light shooting and review the images, turn down the brightness of your LCD. I've had mine set at -1 for ages and use -2 for shots after dark.

For shots that are really tough to judge, use at least +/- 1 bracketing. A lot of times, I've hit exactly the exposure I wanted by doing that. I also frequently underexpose sunsets/sunrises by -1EV, when the sun is still off the horizon a little bit.
my gallery of so-so photos
http://www.pbase.com/kerrypierce/
User avatar
KerryPierce
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1233
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:20 pm
Location: Detroit, MI


Return to Image Reviews and Critiques

cron