October 17, 2008

Sunset Photo Tip ...

and an opinion poll... Which of these do you like better? I can't decide. And I'm adding one of these sets to Susan Keller Photography.

Leave God's artistry as is...? (I know, when I put it like that....!!)
dana pt sunset 1dana pt sunset 2


Or enhance it a little bit ...? (not changing, just adding a bit of saturation)
dana pt sunset 2dana pt sunset 1


So, on to the tip ...
Last week (yesterday's post) at the harbor I photographed the sun as it was actually setting. Last night we arrived AFTER the sun had already set. But the show in the sky was SPECTACULAR (generally Oct & Nov are the favored sunset months in SoCal). So here's my (again, totally obvious) tip for the day: your best sunset shots will happen in the 30-45 minute time span AFTER the sun dips below the horizon.

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16 comments:

Meliss said...

Hi Susan

I definitely like the top pictures best. The enhanced versions lose the beautiful turquoise shade in the sky.

fxmixer said...

The bottom ones look a bit oversaturated to me. I think what you captured in camera looks pretty awesome.

Mom2Da'Gorgeouses said...

Susan, I like the top pictures too (but I like the arrangement of the bottom pictures---w/ the couple pic first).

Hugs & Blessings!

Kathy Jo DeVore said...

The first group looks awesome. The second group looks fakey.

Like MamaChanga mentioned, I do like the arrangement of the second group best. My eye automatically focuses on the large photo when it comes first to the point where I barely notice the second one.

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

I like the second set best. Love the blue of the sky and the way that it makes the rocks pop. Also, the blue saturation makes the couple stand out more. They are really lost in the shadows of that first set.

Irene said...

I also like the top set best and as suggested just put the smaller picture first. The second set just does not look natural.

I bought a new camera the other day. Nothing fancy like yours but a step up for me. Still a Sony Cyber Shot but with better zoom and more pixels and added bells and whistles. Most of my picture taking these days is at Disneyland so I can hardly wait to go and play with my new toy :)

Teri said...

I think I'm a sucker for a little extra saturation. All beautiful shots, as usual!

Aunt Tea said...

me too, on top but bottom arrangement. the bottom photos look good too, but your business is photographing people and the realistic scene works best for that IMO.

Rhea said...

Both versions are amazing. I can't choose. How's that for an answer?!

I Love Purple More Than You said...

I thought the originals were beautiful, but the enhanced versions blow me away. Love the extra saturation!

Anonymous said...

beautiful! the feeling in the top photos makes me just want to sit down, dig my feet into the sand, and stare with my jaw hanging.

Darcy @ m3b said...

I do love them both - but I'm also a fan of the greater saturations!

Skeller said...

Thanks, All, for the input.

So, listening to y'all, what I did was: desaturate the second set a bit, and I used the second arrangement of photos.

Tara Bennett said...

Thanks for the tip! I was able to capture an awesome sunset pic tonight thanks to you!

I love natural and tweaked, but I think I like a little added saturation just a little more. You can't go wrong though!

30seconds.blogs.com said...

Natural pics best, as mentioned on Flickr. :-)

Tracy P. said...

I was going to say a little extra saturation never hurt, but I might go for a happy medium. Sounds like that's just what you did!