Need advice on landscape/sun rise photography


Janeth

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Jan 26, 2007
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Hey all! I am planning to take landscape/sun rise shots with my friends this sunday. Will like to find out from the pros here on the camera settings that I need to take note to get acceptable IQ.

My set up is canon 550D with 18-55IS or tokina 11-16mm uwa with a tripod. I am only using tokina UV filter for both lens. If there any thing else that I should prepare?

Anyone with experience using same UWA lens also can give me feedback on the pros and cons that you have experienced. Will greatly appreciate any advice that is helpful.

Thanks! ;)
 

Hey all! I am planning to take landscape/sun rise shots with my friends this sunday. Will like to find out from the pros here on the camera settings that I need to take note to get acceptable IQ.

My set up is canon 550D with 18-55IS or tokina 11-16mm uwa with a tripod. I am only using tokina UV filter for both lens. If there any thing else that I should prepare?

Anyone with experience using same UWA lens also can give me feedback on the pros and cons that you have experienced. Will greatly appreciate any advice that is helpful.

Thanks! ;)

set lens to manual focus, set to infinity.. turn off IS..
mount on tripod..

on camera, turn to M mode.. set to aperture of f8-f16... set shutter speed to long shutter speed.. compose and fire away..

your filter should not have any effect la.. if got glare or ghosting or flare or wadever, remove the filter and try again lor..

most important thing is to have fun and enjoy mother nature~!
 

set lens to manual focus, set to infinity.. turn off IS..
mount on tripod..

on camera, turn to M mode.. set to aperture of f8-f16... set shutter speed to long shutter speed.. compose and fire away..

your filter should not have any effect la.. if got glare or ghosting or flare or wadever, remove the filter and try again lor..

most important thing is to have fun and enjoy mother nature~!

For a sunrise shot???? Wah, bad advice!

TS, depending on the light, you may or may not need a tripod. I suggest aperture mode, low ISO, set to f8-f11, and shoot away. You're not shooting a nighttime scenery, so don't worry about turning off IS, setting focus to infinity, etc. In fact you could even leave everything on auto and shoot away if you want to.
 

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For a sunrise shot???? Wah, bad advice!

TS, depending on the light, you may or may not need a tripod. I suggest aperture mode, low ISO, set to f8-f11, and shoot away. You're not shooting a nighttime scenery, so don't worry about turning off IS, setting focus to infinity, etc. In fact you could even leave everything on auto and shoot away if you want to.

OH like when the sun is already out then ofcourse no... my bad my bad..

i thought TS meant like in the twilight twilight.. when its still slightly dark...

okok, TS its better to listen to the pros.. they don't like it when people don't listen to them.. not saying anyone in particular..

thanks for pointing out my mistake there Rashkae.. much appreciated~! =)
 

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... planning to take landscape/sun rise shots ... the camera settings that I need to take note to get acceptable IQ.

Use lowest possible ISO setting. Don't be tempted to use high ISO setting like 800 or 1,600 or 3,200. Compensate lower ISO setting with longer exposure (or slower shutter speed). Typical landscape aperture is F8 to F16. Some more adventurous one will push aperture to F20.



My set up is canon 550D with 18-55IS or tokina 11-16mm uwa with a tripod. I am only using tokina UV filter for both lens. If there any thing else that I should prepare?

Prudent to have a level gauge mounted on flash hotshoe to enable two-axis levelling of camera body when mounted on tripod.



Anyone with experience using same UWA lens also can give me feedback on the pros and cons that you have experienced. Will greatly appreciate any advice that is helpful.

If you are shooting in BULB exposure timing, plan how you will hold onto the shutter release for desired exposure timing. One method is to have a remote shutter release with mechanical or electronic lock to hold on to shutter release for desired exposure timing. :)

Do plan your shot. Consider how to fill up the frame or picture with foreground and background items. Consider leading line or lines giving sense of depth or perspective of the landscape.
 

For a sunrise shot???? Wah, bad advice!

TS, depending on the light, you may or may not need a tripod. I suggest aperture mode, low ISO, set to f8-f11, and shoot away. You're not shooting a nighttime scenery, so don't worry about turning off IS, setting focus to infinity, etc. In fact you could even leave everything on auto and shoot away if you want to.

Thanks, I will surely try out both AP and M to make full use of the limited time I have when the Sun is climbing. Do you advice using UWA or the kit lens for the shoot?

OH like when the sun is already out then ofcourse no... my bad my bad..

I thought TS meant like in the twilight twilight.. when its still slightly dark...

okok, TS its better to listen to the pros.. they don't like it when people don't listen to them.. not saying anyone in particular..

thanks for pointing out my mistake there Rashkae.. much appreciated~! =)

I will be there at around 5:30-6 so hopefully can catch some twilight twilight shot haha. No harm trying out different lighting since I wake up so early right? Oh btw, since you mentioned IS do you also advice using the kit lens and not the UWA? I am rather paranoid coz some ppl said 11-16mm not useful for landscape? haha Thanks!

Use lowest possible ISO setting. Don't be tempted to use high ISO setting like 800 or 1,600 or 3,200. Compensate lower ISO setting with longer exposure (or slower shutter speed). Typical landscape aperture is F8 to F16. Some more adventurous one will push aperture to F20.

Prudent to have a level gauge mounted on flash hotshoe to enable two-axis levelling of camera body when mounted on tripod.

If you are shooting in BULB exposure timing, plan how you will hold onto the shutter release for desired exposure timing. One method is to have a remote shutter release with mechanical or electronic lock to hold on to shutter release for desired exposure timing. :)

Do plan your shot. Consider how to fill up the frame or picture with foreground and background items. Consider leading line or lines giving sense of depth or perspective of the landscape.

Thanks for your useful input. sadly.. I don't have a remote yet so will stick to 2 secs count down release and right exposure. Is it by setting lowest ISO, F8 to F16 and enough exposure everything should be fine?
 

Do you advice using UWA or the kit lens for the shoot?

Up to you and what angle you want to take, really. It's just a matter of focal length.
 

Thanks, I will surely try out both AP and M to make full use of the limited time I have when the Sun is climbing. Do you advice using UWA or the kit lens for the shoot?

Wide or telephoto depends on your composition :) I have used both for sunrise / sunsets before. no one formula fit all.

there is a small window to play ard during sunrise, and once it crosses the horizon the skies often become suddenly too bright.

try to preconceptualise by visiting the spot earlier, or look through other people's shots and plan ard there.

I will be there at around 5:30-6 so hopefully can catch some twilight twilight shot haha. No harm trying out different lighting since I wake up so early right? Oh btw, since you mentioned IS do you also advice using the kit lens and not the UWA? I am rather paranoid coz some ppl said 11-16mm not useful for landscape? haha Thanks!

I was already up 4am+ predawn i was in AKW shooting sunrise. u can get some surprising nice hues especially on longer exposures.

again tele / UWA depends on how u want to compose the shot, no need to be paranoid about it

Is it by setting lowest ISO, F8 to F16 and enough exposure everything should be fine?

Proper exposure for a well composed shot , yes will be fine!
Get urself a stable tripod ard. GND filters might come in handy, alternatively multiple exposure, shoot raw ( since sometimes u can really blow off the highlights with such a disparity in dynamic range .. )

ryan
 

Hey all! I am planning to take landscape/sun rise shots with my friends this sunday. Will like to find out from the pros here on the camera settings that I need to take note to get acceptable IQ.

My set up is canon 550D with 18-55IS or tokina 11-16mm uwa with a tripod. I am only using tokina UV filter for both lens. If there any thing else that I should prepare?

Anyone with experience using same UWA lens also can give me feedback on the pros and cons that you have experienced. Will greatly appreciate any advice that is helpful.

Thanks! ;)

If you are shooting before the sun comes up over the horizon, usually light levels are still low, so long exposures would require the use of a tripod for maximum stability. For me, I still continue to use the tripod once the sun peeps over the horizon, as I tend to shoot bracketed exposures for merging in PP. Having the tripod means every shot is from exactly the same spot, which makes layer blending much easier! :)

Focal length to use is dependent on your intended composition and where you're shooting from. Pretty hard to advise on this aspect. Shoot more with both your lenses and familiarize yourself with your intended sunrise location, and you'll automatically know what focal length to use :)

I prefer to shoot without the protective filters as I might be mounting ND filters and worry about vignetting, but that's just me.
 

I will recommend you to use tripod, since the sun will not run away, you can take your time to do your framing, take care of the horizon line.

if the sun is visible, try to to make long exposure like a few mins, since the sun is rising, you may elongated sun into a oval shape.

and for metering, use the spot metering or partial metering to take reading from area around the sun but not include the sun, this are the areas which you want to expose as mid tone.

you should start setup before the sun rise, and fire away before the sun rising, till the sun totally rise up high, between all the shots, you can try different exposures, WB, setting, so you will learn what is more suitable and your taste.

finally, everyday do have sunrise, but the sunrise may not be nice everyday, so just prepare yourself and do your best, you can come back another day if the results is not you expected.

enjoy your shoot.
 

Thanks for all the inputs. I guess I will just stick to my UWA lens since I may take awhile to frame. Will surely try out all the advice given!

Hope for good weather later!
 

Have fun with your shoot and I hope for the best for the weather too (cause i will be taking photos of the sunrise later too).
:
 

excellent weather lor.. today sianx... never go shoot.. haha.. hope u got nice shots~!!

let us see and them maybe C&C..
 

I went to One Fullerton and set up at 5:30am. The weather was fine but way too cloudy for sun rise shots.. Rather disappointing for me but will attempt once more hopefully this coming Sunday! Anyone mind suggesting a good location preferably with some nice background?
 

I went to One Fullerton and set up at 5:30am. The weather was fine but way too cloudy for sun rise shots.. Rather disappointing for me but will attempt once more hopefully this coming Sunday! Anyone mind suggesting a good location preferably with some nice background?

Being a landscape photographer is to go to the same places again and again until you get a great shot. We cannot control the weather. We can only go to a location, setup and hope for good weather. Sometimes you are disappointed and sometimes you are pleasantly surprised.
 

Being a landscape photographer is to go to the same places again and again until you get a great shot. We cannot control the weather. We can only go to a location, setup and hope for good weather. Sometimes you are disappointed and sometimes you are pleasantly surprised.

:thumbsup:
 

if the sun is visible, try to to make long exposure like a few mins, since the sun is rising, you may elongated sun into a oval shape.
This is the most interesting advice.:D gotta try it.

For my personal preference, use tripod whenever possible.
You can bracket the shots (like what ZCA do) when the sky is overcast and really flat. Which the ev- should be enough not to get highlights or overexposed in the sky.

one fullerton, merlion, esplanade, MBS waterfront are few places to shoot in that area.
 

Thanks! I wanted to attempt the same spot today but failed thanks to the weather.