On tonight's sunset... teach me oh wise ones

Had the most incredible sunset tonight when i got home, tried a few times to shoot sunsets and they came out pretty average. I think the colors in this one were so extrordinary I think it helps prevent that. These photos are not manipulated in Photoshop, they were shot with a D300, 24mm f/2.8 nikkor with a hoya super multi coated circular polarizer (which may create the colors my friend claim are unnatural). The curves were adjusted in lightroom to bring out the clouds but that is about it.oh and some are over exposed more to c
reate richer colors.. Please let me know if you like them, if you do, please enjoy, if you don't by all means rip them a new one. I hope they make you happy becasue that is my main goal :)

http://www1.zoto.com/dmckid/img/600x...42986dea58.jpg
http://www2.zoto.com/dmckid/img/600x...0aabc85bc6.jpg
http://www2.zoto.com/dmckid/img/600x...0aabc85bc6.jpg
http://www2.zoto.com/dmckid/img/600x...16a6828838.jpg
http://www2.zoto.com/dmckid/img/600x...e4a89fbffa.jpg
http://www1.zoto.com/dmckid/img/600x...58853b6137.jpg

I have more but that should be good for now

Any good? How does one make a stunning photo out of something already made my God so beautiful (or nature whatever your affiliation may be).

oh wow. oh wow.

These are great photos there! Favourites are 2 & 3.

Good color. How'd you get that deer to stand there for you?

Certainly nothing to rip here. Just gorgeous sunsets. Well done

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frog

Good color. How'd you get that deer to stand there for you?

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My father loved deer and had quite a few iron deer statues all over his farm, I picked up two when he passed away. I had to sit in a rose bush to get that shot but I wanted an interesting silhouette.

And thanks everyone I am glad they came out ok, my pano-photographer friend just kept complaining they looked unnatural.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shespawn

my pano-photographer friend just kept complaining they looked unnatural.

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Nice shots - especially with the deer statue. Color manipulation isn't anything new to digital - try a roll of Fuji Velvia or all kinds of different filters and you can get similar results. Since you're shooting almost directly into the sun, the polarizer probably isn't doint much of anything at all other than affecting your exposure (you'd need to be at a right angle to the light source - so in this case shooting north or south - to have it really do much).

However, adjusting things like exposure, white balance and color saturation can have a huge effect on the image "straight out of the camera". Nothing against you, just understand that the camera can do a lot to get your images as close to finished as you want. Good thing to practice to see what they all do, too! Welcome to the site.

Gorgeous sky and the deer is a great inclusion.

Color is a preferece and with tools it can be pushed in many directions. If you are going for natural or what you were seeing these may be too blue/purple. I like it but it could be something too keep in mind as printed they might not look as good.

Metering on the sky, as opposed to overall or on the sun will bring out more detail in the original image. These all seem very underexposed, even for sunsets. A sunset can be turned down, but turning one up is not as effective. More detail in the original allows more options later.

Try shooting without the polarizer too. At this time of day, the light is tremendously different and it will expose every potential light shifting flaw in a CP as opposed to mid day or even an hour or two earlier.

Best luck and will look forward to more sunsets and other photos.

You might consider a two stop ND grad filter. You can bring out detail in the foreground. I have one that seems permenantly attached to my 14-54mm. Just google Cokin ND graduate filter. A must for serious work IMO.
The trick to beautiful sunset and sunsrises is to find the right subject to hang them over that makes them unique.

Those colors that your friend deems unnatural are what evoke emotion. Natural colors would just be a documentary shot, pushing the image past into the surreal can really get people's attention. To me, the strongest one is the one with the grass in the foreground.

Overall nicely done.

Stunning photos! I too love the one with the grass, simply beautiful.

I agree with Lori 11,like the grass one best...Are all the thorns out..?

Wow, I really like that deer shot.!!!

i would be very proud if they were my photos. fantastic each and every one of them. keep the good work up.