Sunset Scene

[Override2Zion]

Hi, I am a noobie in photography. Just got interested recently and bought myself a D80 Kit. Took a shot while I was in Chiangmai earlier this month. Do give me some advise on what to lookout for. Thanks



Image was modified (Tilt was corrected)

[afiend]

HH, welcome to Clubsnap! Nice to see you here.

[Override2Zion]

Originally Posted by afiend HH, welcome to Clubsnap! Nice to see you here.

Hey, Bro TW. Long time no see. Just getting started recently, was intending to give you a call, maybe you could show me a trick or two?

[megaweb]

I find smaller aperture like f22 would give better sun burst effect

[Alpha Male]

A wider angle that includes the base of the tree and foreground might work better. A tighter crop on the right featuring only 1 tree may help.

If you have the chance, go back there about 30 minutes earlier and try a different angle from the right at a sitting height with a shutter speed of 2-4 sec. Focus further away may be 200 m.

[Override2Zion]

Thanks for the comments people. Will try to play around with the suggested settings when i travel there again next month.
More advises are welcomed.

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

horizon that is tilted is a big distraction to viewers. take note.

[htthach]

Originally Posted by Del_CtrlnoAlt horizon that is tilted is a big distraction to viewers. take note.

I think that the river bank u see is not the horizon.
The river bank may not be parallel to the horizon depend on your position however vertical tree will always perpendicular to horizon.
The tree is vertical here so i think the horizon is really horizon.

[standingup]

Originally Posted by htthach I think that the river bank u see is not the horizon. The river bank may not be parallel to the horizon depend on your position however vertical tree will always perpendicular to horizon. The tree is vertical here so i think the horizon is really horizon.

No bah...it's slanted...Talking about horizontal lines not neccessary it's is a real horizon in the real world. It's in the picture. The main line of photo should be horizontal...The trees here are actually distractive and should not be used as the main line of this photo rather than the water surface..

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Originally Posted by htthach I think that the river bank u see is not the horizon. The river bank may not be parallel to the horizon depend on your position however vertical tree will always perpendicular to horizon. The tree is vertical here so i think the horizon is really horizon.

err, not all trees are perpenticular to horizons, and iirc, most if not all trees are not straight to start with.

anyway i am looking at the distant waters for the horizon, on the left. its slanted, besides that, the trees on the left are straight thou, and the sunlight reflection is another point that should note for horizon, becos the image is taken straight on, so the reflection on water should be a straight line join.

[gktat1]

Originally Posted by Override2Zion Hi, I am a noobie in photography. Just got interested recently and bought myself a D80 Kit. Took a shot while I was in Chiangmai earlier this month. Do give me some advise on what to lookout for. Thanks

I was in Chiangmai earlier this month too!
Nice place eh?
Where did u take this sunset?

[maddyks]

Hmm image seems to be a bit tilted

And the sun is kind of glaring but then again personal opinion.

[Override2Zion]

Originally Posted by maddyks Hmm image seems to be a bit tilted And the sun is kind of glaring but then again personal opinion.

Haa haa yeah, after taking a good look i noticed the tilt. Was too distracted by the trees to have noticed. Silly me. Will take note in future.

[Override2Zion]

Originally Posted by gktat1 I was in Chiangmai earlier this month too! Nice place eh? Where did u take this sunset?

It was in a park near the outskirts of chiangmai. I have to consult my wifey about the exact name, can't remember. If you intend to visit chiangmai again, let me know. Perhaps we could arrange to go together, my wife is a local there.

[Override2Zion]

Originally Posted by Alpha Male A wider angle that includes the base of the tree and foreground might work better. A tighter crop on the right featuring only 1 tree may help. If you have the chance, go back there about 30 minutes earlier and try a different angle from the right at a sitting height with a shutter speed of 2-4 sec. Focus further away may be 200 m.

Originally Posted by megaweb I find smaller aperture like f22 would give better sun burst effect

Alright, i guess i would re-visit the site again to experiment with different settings. Have a few friends who gave me similar advices like going there 20-30 minutes earlier and using a smaller aperture. Still have lots to experiment and learn. Thanks for the tips.

[gktat1]

Originally Posted by Override2Zion It was in a park near the outskirts of chiangmai. I have to consult my wifey about the exact name, can't remember. If you intend to visit chiangmai again, let me know. Perhaps we could arrange to go together, my wife is a local there.

No prob!
Spent onli like 48hrs there onli....not enuff...
Beautiful place

[Override2Zion]

Hey bro, got the name of the place. Its Lake Huay Thung Thaew. Nice place

[wind30]

Like the some of the peope have said, the time is wrong and the light is too harsh. No colors.

One thing about sunset is it looks best with clouds.

Secondly, the composition is not good too. Don't like the way the placement of the two front trees. Just anyhow cut the picture. The single small tree on the left is too close to the edge and looks like an accidental inclusion.

Basically no subject, really dunno what you trying to shoot, partly because the two front trees is so distracting.

[espion]

maybe u tell us what was in your mind as you shot this picture, ie were u composing deliberately? or just "Wah! sunset!", snap!

for there are various interesting elements in the picture that you may or may not have seen, such as the shoreline middle left, the receding hills in the distance, and of course the nice light off the tree trunks in the foreground, and perhaps many other things that we do not see in this glimpse you have given us.

So did you or did you not see all these before bringing up your camera?

And if you did why did you not place them all, arrange them in a more aesthetic combination in your mind and then in the camera viewfinder before you even squeeze the shutter release?

For example the side-lighted vertical trunks can be pushed to the edge of the picture and its boughs to frame the opposite shoreline and the distance hills, rather then these trees cutting up the shoreline with no apparent aesthetic rationale, etc etc

And this is before we talk about the technical challenge to do a sunrise shoot, but for that you can read anywhere - example do a google on the Internet and you will get more comprehensive and more correct advice than from unknown critics here.

You need to see a good picture to take/make a good picture. And if you can see a good picture, the camera's various program modes are usually sophisticated enough to deliver the goods, and you need not know anything technical at all. And I have seen some good pictures from kids using P&S.

If you want to take good pictures don't start with becoming a photographer. That's a dead end road.

And also see other peoples' works. That is one fast effective way to learn. But you have to see actively meaning you have ask yourself what in the picture is good or bad and - most importantly - able to say why it is good or bad.

For example you can see this work of mine and tell me why it is good or bad.

[XiaoMiaoWang]

Originally Posted by espion You need to see a good picture to take/make a good picture. And if you can see a good picture, the camera's various program modes are usually sophisticated enough to deliver the goods, and you need not know anything technical at all. And I have seen some good pictures from kids using P&S. If you want to take good pictures don't start with becoming a photographer. That's a dead end road. And also see other peoples' works. That is one fast effective way to learn. But you have to see actively meaning you have ask yourself what in the picture is good or bad and - most importantly - able to say why it is good or bad. For example you can see this work of mine and tell me why it is good or bad.

Espion, I see nothing spectacular about that seashore sunset, besides great processing of colors.

I don't get you on to the point of taking good pics and start through not becoming a photographer. It doesn't make sense, something is missing from that statement.