The most unfortunate person in the world is an atheist, he sees the sea sunset, and he has no one to thank for this beauty. Gilbert Keith Chesterton
But now she felt - all her life she had been fighting with herself only so that someday, one fine day, she could sit like this and contemplate a sunset, similar to the one that was now blazing in front of her. Paulo Coelho
A new sunset was swept away by fire - this is an angel in God's courtyard burning a bunch of our daily complaints. And he burns the night at dawn. Igor Guberman
Their eyes are full of sunset,
Their hearts are full of dawn. Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky
The sunset was pure, naive, as if it had been drawn by a provincial young lady long before the first, terrible thoughts about men came into her head. Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov
Get up early at dawn and remember that the sunset will come when you do not expect it at all. Tabor goes to the sky
Do not envy the one who is strong and rich,
Dawn is always followed by sunset.
With this life short, equal to a sigh,
Treat like a rental! Omar Khayyam
One sunset is not like another, the colors of the sky are not the same. Mark Levy. meet again
And sometimes, at sunset, you see something unusual, which you do not believe later, when you see the same thing in the picture. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
Oh, I once saw the sunset forty-three times in one day!
And a little later you added:
- You know, when it's very sad, it's good to see how the sun sets.
- So, on the day when you saw forty-three sunsets, you were very sad?
But A little prince didn't answer. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
Z akats are saturated with sadness. Because every time, seeing him off, you think: whatever it was, successful or unsuccessful, the day is my day, and it leaves forever. Elchin Safarli. I'll come back
Look at every morning dawn as the beginning of your life and every sunset as the end of it. May each of these short lives be marked by some good deed, some victory over oneself or acquired knowledge. John Ruskin
In sho has its sunset, only the night ends with dawn. Vladislav Grzegorchik
The sunset is burning, the storm has passed,
Your face is shining again.
I will look into your eyes
And there I will find my love. Notebook, Nicholas Sparks
When you watch the sunset, I will watch it too. At sunset, we met and I know that someday the sunset will connect us forever. Sentence (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak)
I usually talk about how important it is to use a flash when shooting in the sun to show the details of the subject being photographed, but sometimes it will be more effective, on the contrary, to level out all the details, except for the contours, and present the subject against a bright background - in other words, take a picture silhouette.
Silhouettes- a great way to convey drama, mystery, emotions and mood to the viewer, they always stand apart in the album due to the fact that, with apparent simplicity, they tell us a whole story. I love them because they do not show the viewer a clear picture of everything that is happening, but leave room for fantasy.
The key to shooting silhouettes is positioning your subject (the shape you want to show) in front of some kind of light source and adjusting your camera exposure to the brightest part of your image (the background) rather than the subject. Thus, the subject will be underexposed (very dark, if not black).
There are many technical descriptions on how to get great silhouette shots, which you might want to familiarize yourself with, but let me go through a few basic steps to get you where you want to go. The key is to make your camera think that the brightest parts of the image are what you are interested in.
Here's how to do it:
1. Choose the right object
Almost every object can be represented as a silhouette, but some are more suitable for this purpose than others. Choose something with a clear and recognizable shape that will look interesting enough to the viewer, even in 2D. Silhouettes cannot be based on the colors, textures, or tones of objects, so the shape must be distinct.
2. Turn off the flash
If you are filming in automatic mode, then your camera may want to use flash, which will spoil the silhouette. In this case, you want as little light on your subject as possible - so flash should be omitted (however, I've seen some experimental shots of silhouettes with flash on).
3. Choose the right lighting
When it comes to lighting your subject, you need to forget most of what you know about normal photography and start thinking the other way around. Instead of lighting the subject from the front, when shooting silhouettes, you need to make sure that most of the light comes from the background and not from the foreground - in other words, you need to light the subject more from the back than from the front. A sunset or sunrise is ideal for this purpose, against which you can photograph the object, but in fact, almost any bright light source will do.
4. Frame the frame
Frame the frame so that your subject is in front of a pleasant and simple, but at the same time bright background. Usually the best background is a bright, cloudless sky with a setting sun. You need to place the brightest light source behind your subject (so that it is hidden behind it, or somewhere else in the background).
5. Create a clear and concise silhouette shape
If there is more than one shape in the frame that you are going to represent as a silhouette, try to keep the distance between the objects. For example, if you are making silhouettes of a tree and a person, you should not place the person in front of the tree or even ask him to lean on it, because. in this case, the objects will merge into one form, and the viewer will be perplexed what it is.
Also, when composing your shot, you may want to photograph the silhouettes of people in profile rather than looking directly into the frame. In this way, more features (nose, mouth, eyes) will stand out, and the person will be more likely to be recognized.
6. In automatic mode
Most modern digital cameras have automatic system metering, which adjusts the exposure so that everything is well lit. The problem is that most cameras are so smart that they will light up the subject instead of underexposing it to get a silhouette, so you need to outsmart your camera.
Most cameras adjust exposure levels automatically when you press the shutter button halfway (at the same time focusing). So aim your camera at the brightest part of the image and hold the shutter button halfway down (and don't let go). Then move the camera back to include your subject in the frame, and then press the button all the way down and take the frame. On most digital cameras, this will give you a silhouetted subject.
This way you trick your camera into thinking that the brightest part of the image is the midtones, so anything darker will look like a nice deep shadow in the frame.
Some digital cameras also have spot metering or center metering modes, which can help you implement the above technique, since the camera will measure exposure at one point, rather than several. This means that you can tell the camera exactly which part of the light background you want to expose.
7. Manual mode
If this technique doesn't work and your camera has manual exposure or exposure compensation mode, you could try using your own settings. The beauty of digital is that you can experiment with the frame until you get the result you want.
An easy way to get started in manual mode is to look at the shutter speed and aperture offered by the camera in auto mode and start there. If your subject is too light in auto mode (i.e. you need to make it darker), lower your shutter speed by a stop or two and see what happens. Use the "bracketing" technique I described in my previous Sunrise and Sunrise article to get multiple shots with slightly varying exposure.
8. Focus
In most cases, you will want the silhouette to be clearly in focus. This complicates the process described in point 4, because when you hold the shutter button halfway to measure exposure, the background is in focus at the same time. To get around this point, you can follow two strategies. First, if your camera has manual focus, you can use it. Focus before metering exposure.
The second way is to use the aperture to maximize the depth of field (the fraction of the image that is in focus). Set a small aperture (i.e. a larger f/number) to increase the depth of field - this is how you are most likely to get a sharp background and foreground.
One last tip for silhouettes- A full silhouette, where the entire subject is black and sharp, can be very effective, but it's also worth considering a partial silhouette, in which only a subset of your subject's details are shown in this way. Sometimes one small ray of light makes the object a little more voluminous and “real”. This is the beauty of bracketing - it allows you to choose between general and partial silhouettes.
In this article, you'll get some proven tips for planning and executing a sunset portrait shoot. Learn how to take photos that you and your clients will love.
Plan ahead for your sunset photo session
Many photographers feel overwhelmed when they start shooting portraits, whether professionally or for fun.
Where should I shoot? How should people pose? Which lens to choose? What settings to use? When should I move closer or move further away? What should I say to evoke strong emotions?
A plan will give you confidence and help ease the pressure of making decisions. It is not a limitation, because often the best shots spontaneous, but rather will give you confidence and direction to follow when you are not feeling inspired.
Here is our rough plan for a sunset shoot, be it an engagement, part of a wedding, family portraits, maternity or newborn photo session outdoors. A portrait photo session is always scheduled about an hour before sunset.
This plan has a dual purpose - not only will it help you feel more confident, but it will also help you make the most of the terrain and sunset lighting.
Step One: Arrive early to scout the area
Plan to arrive 20-30 minutes early to explore the new area. You never know what amazing trails or clearings might be nearby, so it's worth taking the time to explore. It's also good to arrive before your customers so they feel like you're waiting for them and excited about their arrival.
Step second: rate location
Start estimating location using the following questions:
Where are the nice shaded areas to start from? It is worth starting from shady corners, since the sun is still bright.
Where is the highest point in the area? If you are in a hilly area, you can capture the final moments of the sunset and make the most of the golden light.
Where is the most impressive sunset spot? This is where your final scene will be - it should be at the very end of the route.
By answering these questions, you can approximately draw up a route. This means you will always know the direction and guide your customers through the area with confidence.
Step three: shooting in the best light
To absolutely make the most of sunset lighting, you can follow the same plan on every shoot (in that order):
- Shooting in the shade
- Ambient shots
- Silhouette shots
- Sunset shots
- Pictures at dusk
Let's put this plan into practice, assuming sunset at 18:00 (in your case it will most likely be a different time, but the intervals will match):
16:40 - arrival, inspection of the area and assessment of the location.
16:00 - Your client arrives and gets a brief update on how much fun you'll have!
17:10 – Shooting in the shadows
Go directly to shooting in a beautiful shaded location that you have found in advance. We love taking regular shots like these, as clients often prefer them. Save more impressive lighting for landscape photos.
17:25 – Shooting with ambient light
You can then move to another location to include the sun in your shots, but you can diffuse it with trees. Here are the photos:
17:40 – Shooting silhouettes
About 10-20 minutes before sunset, you can try the silhouette. Since the silhouette needs to be shot at a very low angle, you won't be able to match the height of the sun to the client's feet if you wait.
17:50 - Shooting at sunset
At this point, the light will turn golden, so you need to be at the last location. Do your best to make the most of this beautiful soft light - you can even place your clients in an open space if you know how to manage the sun's glare. At this time, we try to take a lot of photos - landscape, waist-length portraits, close-up. In this way, you can create a set to decorate the walls, where the photos have the same color of the sunset.
1 8 :00 – Shooting V dusk
The sun has set, but you still have a gorgeous window of 15 minutes when you can capture the beautiful colors of dusk. Since the sun no longer emits bright light, you can now use the entire area! Areas previously lit by the bright sun are now in the soft light of twilight.
1 8 :10 – Ready!
This plan is designed to give you some structure if you lack confidence and direction in your sunset portrait shoots. It will help you get the most out of the sunlight and manage your time effectively while shooting. Of course, as photographers, we are creative, and breaking the rules is always fine if you have confidence in yourself.
Tip number 1. Blackout. This is the most important tip when shooting sunsets. A slightly underexposed shot will make the colors more saturated and concentrated. The image will become more dramatic. You can darken the picture using manual mode or a fast shutter speed. Shooting in Aperture Priority mode or using compensation can help make sunset photos deep and emotional.
Tip number 2. Find something in the foreground of the landscape. The best recipe for reproducing a good sunset is to have some objects in the foreground. It could be a pond, a mill, or some other building. Just find something interesting and include the subject in the composition. This action will add depth to the scene being shot.
by Salim Waguila
Council number 3. Do not place the horizon line in the middle of the frame. Good general rule to place the horizon in the lower third if the colors of the sunset are especially beautiful and in the upper third if the sunset is dim.
A significant mistake when shooting a landscape is a littered horizon line. Use the bubble level on to make sure your horizon is as straight as it gets!
Council number 4. Look around! Sometimes the scenery behind you can be great, but it's easy to miss it because photographers are usually too busy with the sunset. The sunset is good because it colors the everyday scenes of life in a warm, light and amazingly beautiful light. Don't forget to look over your shoulder so you don't miss out on what would look trite in daylight.
Council number 5. Shoot in Aperture Priority Mode with Exposure Compensation while the sun is still in the sky, and then switch to manual camera control when the sun begins to dip below the horizon. Aperture priority allows you to control the level of illumination, and in manual mode you can then get a more accurate exposure, since the built-in exposure meter often gives incorrect data in low light conditions.
Council number 6. Do not hurry. The sky usually lights up again with bright colors about 25 minutes after the sun goes down below the horizon. Most photographers consider these moments to be the most beautiful sunset moments.
Council number 7. Create silhouettes in the foreground. How to do this, we wrote in the photography lesson. http://site/?page_id=3095. A good silhouette will turn out if the plot elements have a recognizable shape. Just make sure that the black silhouette does not take up too much of the frame.
by Dominik Astrodi
Tip number 8. Change the white balance. Select "Shadow" in the settings, you will get beautiful golden tones even if the sunset is dim
Tip #9 Take advantage of the opportunities. It's fair to say that sunsets look amazing when captured in HDR.
by PaulEmmingsPhotography
Tip number 10. Wait for the right clouds. The ideal conditions for sunset photography are partly cloudy. The clouds in the sky will be illuminated by the rays of the setting sun and will serve as a great addition to the plot.
Tip #11. When shooting, close the aperture as much as possible. Using values on the order of f/22 will draw the sun's rays and create a star effect, which will certainly bring an element of artistry to the picture.
by Chip Phillips
Tip number 12. Filters are banned! Any. Polarizing filter will not help saturate the colors of the sunset. Also, even UV filters should be removed when shooting the setting sun. An extra flat, even ultra-thin piece of glass reduces saturation. When photographing a sunset, this is unacceptable.
Tip number 13. Don't forget to take off your glasses too. Even if they are with diopters, but coated to darken. Otherwise, you will feel that the pictures are getting darker and darker, you will not be able to clearly set the exposure.
Tip #14 Don't get carried away by focusing on the clouds. B should keep the focus point in the area of \u200b\u200bone third from the bottom edge of the photo. This is approximate, but it's worth sticking to the rule.
by Haakon Nygaard
Tip #15 Shoot in RAW. There are so many delicate and transparent colors in sunset shades that can be lost if you shoot in JPEG. Don't cut the branch you are sitting on. Get the most out of your camera and get as much information as possible in the picture.
Tip #17 Look for objects that reflect the setting sun. Perhaps you find such a building behind you or use the windshield of a car. You can successfully use the motionless mirror surface of water, etc. Reflections can be used not only for sunset photography, but also as an independent element in photography.
Tip #18 The best sunsets can be caught through the viewfinder in the evening on a rainy day. As soon as the clouds in the sky begin to disperse, you should grab the camera and run to the starting point from which you can shoot the landscape and the setting sun.
Tip #19 Make sure you are able to use if you plan to take portraits against a sunset. If you do not use the flash, the faces will be dark and cloudy "cakes".
If you are shooting a portrait, also pay attention to the fact that the horizon line does not pass along the person’s neck. It will look much prettier if the horizon is at the level of the model’s stomach or chest.
Tip number 20. If you want the objects in the rays of the setting sun and the star itself to be large, use a telephoto lens. Everything will absolutely become smaller, but it will be possible to capture a larger area if use a wide angle lens.
Tip #21 Don't forget to change the image style. This can only be done later if you are shooting in RAW. But if you are shooting in JPEG format, you must use landscape mode in picture style (Canon) or picture control (Nikon).
Tip number 22. Follow the birds. in the sky can add a bit of animation to a landscape photo.
by Riccardo Lubrano
Tip #23 Consider different lighting conditions. When the sun begins to set but is still in the sky, the image on the LCD screen may look darker than it actually is. But the “second sunset”, which occurs after 20-25 minutes, as the sun sets below the horizon, can give the impression that the image is brighter than it actually is. That is why it is better to trust the histogram, not the LCD. And don't delete images until you've viewed them on a computer monitor.
Tip #24 Before diving into the mesmerizing process of photographing a sunset, make sure you have a clean lens. It should not have dust, spots, otherwise you will not end up with problems in post-processing. Given the variety of colors and shades in the sunset sky, the process of cleaning out spots can be delayed and nullify all previous efforts to create a masterpiece.
by Marcis Baltskars
Tip #25 The most important personal advice. Take a look around. If there is at least one photographer in your field of vision, ask him the question: "What is your most important advice for those who photograph sunsets?".
Summer is the perfect time to capture sunsets. And although sunsets are not taken only by the lazy, truly magical shots are obtained from a few. What tricks will make your shots brighter, right now in our material.
Photo by Yan L
#1. Choose a location in advance. To understand where the sun will set (over the sea or over the mountains), you need to come to the place the day before the shooting. But if this is an auto tour, and you are going to places you have never been before, you can use the sunsurveyor.com program, which shows how the sun moves around the globe and at each specific point on the earth. Arrive at the location a couple of hours before the shoot to pick a good shooting point and set up your tripod before the sun goes down.
#2. Check out the weather forecast. The setting sun provides stunning light and color. It is better that there is no “softbox” of clouds in the sky. Here it will be redundant. Choose either a little overcast or clear skies.
#3. Clean up your tech. Wipe down the lens and check that there are no drops or dust particles left on it, which can turn the post-processing process into a nightmare, or even nullify all the efforts to create a masterpiece.
#4. Cover your diaphragm.Using the maximum aperture values (for example, f/22 or f/32) will give a clear rendering of the rays and the effect of a star. There will be exactly as many rays as there are petals in the aperture of your lens.
Photo by Chip Phillips
#5. Underexpose the frame.Darkening the frame will make the colors more saturated and deep. You can darken the frame in different ways: set negative exposure values, or reduce the shutter speed, or increase the aperture value - this can be done in priorities or in manual mode.
#6. Switch modes.When the sun is still in the sky, shoot in aperture priority mode to compensate for the exposure. And when the sun goes down, switch to manual mode, as the built-in exposure meter does not always work correctly in low light conditions.
#7. Adjust the white balance.Select Shadow mode and you'll get warm golden tones even if the sunset is dull and unremarkable.
#8. Shoot HDR.Shooting several frames with different exposures and then gluing these frames in Photoshop helps to achieve the extraordinary brilliance of the sunset. When there is a lot of contrast in nature (bright sunset sky and dull earth), the camera does not understand how to properly display the image. By exposing first the sky, and then the ground or water, and then gluing these frames together, you can get a rich landscape with equally well-developed sections of the frame.
Photo by Paul Emmings Photography
#9. Use the RAW format.Unlike JPEG, RAW forgives you for minor errors that can still be corrected during processing. True, it will take time to correct them. But if you're shooting in JPEG, you won't have a chance to pull out the colors and remove the noise.
#10. Don't bump up the ISO.At sunset, the light becomes less than at noon, but this is not a reason to increase the sensitivity above 800. Otherwise, the photo will appear digital noise, which will be difficult to fix in the editor if you did not shoot in RAW. However, this does not apply professional cameras with full-format matrices that do an excellent job of handling noise even at ISO 3200.
Photo by Aleksandr Pietrosian
#eleven. Use a histogram.Different lighting conditions must be taken into account. When the sun is shining brightly, the image on the camera screen may appear darker than it actually is. But when the sun has set below the horizon, the picture may appear brighter than it really is. Therefore, it is better not to trust the screen, but to use the histogram.
#12. Change your shooting style.If you do shoot in JPEG format, you must use picture style (Canon) or picture control (Nikon) landscape mode. It will allow you to get brighter, more contrasting and saturated pictures.
#13. Use a tripod. If you want to use a slower shutter speed to capture the movement of the water or let more light into the camera's sensor, you'll need a tripod. Sunset landscapes are best shot with a tripod.
#14. Level the horizon. A photo of a sunset usually conveys calmness and tranquility, there is no place for a littered horizon. Therefore, use a special tripod bubble level and use the bubble as a guide when setting up the tripod on the ground.
Photo by Haakon Nygaard
#15. Don't use filters. A polarizing filter will not help saturate sunset colors. Remove even UV filters, because an additional flat, even ultra-thin piece of glass, reduces saturation. When photographing a sunset, this is unacceptable.
#16. Take off your glasses. Even if you have poor eyesight and wear coated tinted glasses. Otherwise, you will feel that the pictures are getting darker and darker, you will not be able to clearly set the exposure.
#17. Grab a reflector. To take a portrait against a sunset, you will need to light up your face. This can be done as a reflector so that the face does not fall into the shadow.
#18. Use an on-camera flash with a synchronizer. The built-in flash should not be used, so as not to kill the volume in the frame. Therefore, when shooting a portrait at sunset, it is best to remove the flash from the camera and insert a synchronizer into the hot shoe. Then you can use the flash as a side light, which will draw volumes and help to make beautiful portrait in the rays of the setting sun.
#19. Take a portable light. An additional constant light source will help illuminate the model when the sun sets below the horizon. This is not a must-have at sunset, but you will find it in cloudy weather.
#20. Use different lenses. If you want the sun and all objects in its rays to be large, use a telephoto lens. If you want to convey scale and take all the space into the frame, take a wide-angle lens.
#21. Do not place the horizon line in the middle of the frame.If the sunset is especially beautiful, give the sky two thirds of the frame, and if there are not enough colors, then place the horizon in the upper third, devoting more attention to the ground.
#22. Don't cut off your head. When shooting people against a sunset, make sure that the horizon line is located in the chest or abdomen area, but does not pass along the person’s neck.
#23. Don't focus on the sun.Don't just focus on the sun, there's so much going on at sunset! Look for cars, houses, shop windows, people, animals that can become the heroes of your sunset photos.
#24. Create volume through the foreground.
Just find something interesting and include the subject in the composition. Spikelets, flowers or leaves in the foreground will add depth to the frame.
Photo by Salim Waguila
#25. Create silhouettes in the foreground.A good silhouette will turn out if the plot elements have a recognizable shape. Just make sure that the black silhouette does not take up too much of the frame.
Photo by Dominik Astrodi
#26. Wait for the right clouds.The ideal conditions for sunset photography are partly cloudy. The clouds in the sky will be illuminated by the rays of the setting sun and will serve as a great addition to the plot.
Photo by Elia Locardi
#27. Keep focus at one third of the bottom of the frame.Don't get carried away focusing on the clouds.
#28.Look back!Sometimes the scenery behind you can be better than the sunset itself. But it's easy to miss because photographers are usually too busy with the sunset. The sunset is good because it colors the everyday scenes of life in a warm, light and amazingly beautiful light.
#29.Look for reflection.Glass showcases, car windows, puddles - all this can give wonderful reflections. You can successfully use the motionless mirror surface of the water to get cool sunset photos.
Photo by Jose Ramos
#30.Do not rush.25 hours after the sun goes down below the horizon, the sky lights up again with bright colors. Photographers consider these moments to be the most beautiful sunset moments.
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