Sunsets And Sunrises

[Fiddlesticks]

I would like to thank those that have liked my previous post #213 and please feel free to offer any advice on how to improve my photography (In any thread),and in particular this image which like most of my sunrise images are affected by fog/smoke haze.I am about to replace my present camera which has become unreliable in a number of ways. I have to decide whether to go for a mirrorless camera such as a Sony NEX-6 or a Digital SLR and would welcome any help in making a decision.

Hi Ron,

Depends on what kind of shooting you want to do. If street photography then the smaller mirror less would be my choice. If you want to do landscapes, serious macro, or architectural images then I would wholeheartedly recommend a DSLR.

As far as this image goes, it looks like this was taken handheld since the trees (and even the sun) seem to be somewhat blurry. THis type of shot requires that the camera be rock solid using a tripod or perhaps anchoring it on something. Also, the white balance appears a little too warm for my taste. All that being said, a shot like this is VERY difficult to pull off effectively since the dynamic range is very large. Normally, a neutral density filter or exposure blending is required to make this really successful. I hope you will accept these comments as constructive suggestions and not as criticism. I thank you for sharing with us and being open enough to ask for suggestions.

Thankyou very much for your comments, they are most welcome and I will take them om board.There is one other thing that I didn't mention and that is that it was taken one handed and the other hand was holding a restless rotweiler cross so that goes along with part of what you are saying.

As you may have noticed,almost all of my shots are street shots with only a small number of landscapes.Many of the images that I've posted in other threads such as pick-ups or the etan threads are moving targets and that is one area that my present camera has been letting me down.I have missed so many good opportunies because of it playing up at the wrong time.This morning I came very close to hurling it against a brick wall but at the same time is still capable of taking a good shot.

"but at the same time is still capable of taking a good shot."

​Let's be careful, IT doesn't take shots, YOU do. You take the good shots! And the brick wall won't help any.

But glad to hear you learned rule 346 of Taking Good Photos, "do not shoot one handed while holding a restless rotweiler". I believe Ansel Adams made that observation early in his career.

[Ron19]

I would like to thank those that have liked my previous post #213 and please feel free to offer any advice on how to improve my photography (In any thread),and in particular this image which like most of my sunrise images are affected by fog/smoke haze.I am about to replace my present camera which has become unreliable in a number of ways. I have to decide whether to go for a mirrorless camera such as a Sony NEX-6 or a Digital SLR and would welcome any help in making a decision.

Hi Ron,

Depends on what kind of shooting you want to do. If street photography then the smaller mirror less would be my choice. If you want to do landscapes, serious macro, or architectural images then I would wholeheartedly recommend a DSLR.

As far as this image goes, it looks like this was taken handheld since the trees (and even the sun) seem to be somewhat blurry. THis type of shot requires that the camera be rock solid using a tripod or perhaps anchoring it on something. Also, the white balance appears a little too warm for my taste. All that being said, a shot like this is VERY difficult to pull off effectively since the dynamic range is very large. Normally, a neutral density filter or exposure blending is required to make this really successful. I hope you will accept these comments as constructive suggestions and not as criticism. I thank you for sharing with us and being open enough to ask for suggestions.

Thankyou very much for your comments, they are most welcome and I will take them om board.There is one other thing that I didn't mention and that is that it was taken one handed and the other hand was holding a restless rotweiler cross so that goes along with part of what you are saying.

As you may have noticed,almost all of my shots are street shots with only a small number of landscapes.Many of the images that I've posted in other threads such as pick-ups or the etan threads are moving targets and that is one area that my present camera has been letting me down.I have missed so many good opportunies because of it playing up at the wrong time.This morning I came very close to hurling it against a brick wall but at the same time is still capable of taking a good shot.

"but at the same time is still capable of taking a good shot."

​Let's be careful, IT doesn't take shots, YOU do. You take the good shots! And the brick wall won't help any.

But glad to hear you learned rule 346 of Taking Good Photos, "do not shoot one handed while holding a restless rotweiler". I believe Ansel Adams made that observation early in his career.

The camera has a couple of bad faults,one being that it leaves a black smudge in some photo's mainly noticeable in images with a bit of sky in them.This one next to the top of the tower.Even in the second sunrise one I posted today I had cropped it out You can photoshop them out but usually I can still see where they were.

Another problem is that the lens has a mind of it's own.Sometimes it wont extend or wont retract or if you change modes it will turn off and can be difficult to get it back on and that's what happened this morning when I missed a shot that I have been sweating on ever since I started the pick-up thread.So you see how frustrated that I have become with it.

[shaggy1969]

Another problem is that the lens has a mind of it's own.Sometimes it wont extend or wont retract or if you change modes it will turn off and can be difficult to get it back on and that's what happened this morning when I missed a shot that I have been sweating on ever since I started the pick-up thread.So you see how frustrated that I have become with it.

Sounds like a similar problem I was having with mine Ron.I think that the problem was humidity,I also had a spot on my lens like yours (is yours when you zoom?)

I am not sure if it was the right thing to do but I took my battery out and place the camera in a bag of dried rice overnight.....seemed to clear the problem up.

Probably noy the best way to do it,hopefully someone else will come along and give you a better tip (for me also).

[Tywais]

Another problem is that the lens has a mind of it's own.Sometimes it wont extend or wont retract or if you change modes it will turn off and can be difficult to get it back on and that's what happened this morning when I missed a shot that I have been sweating on ever since I started the pick-up thread.So you see how frustrated that I have become with it.

Sounds like a similar problem I was having with mine Ron.I think that the problem was humidity,I also had a spot on my lens like yours (is yours when you zoom?)

Agree with the likely hood of humidity as I had the same problem. Saw a round spot, fairly dim and took more photos to see if it was a one off and it was still there and in the exact same location. Looked at the mirror and lens but couldn't spot anything and it finally went away. Worse would be mold growth and would need a professional cleaning.

For Thailand, probably a plastic box with silica gel in it to keep it dry and mold free. Did a bit of a search and appears rice does the job also. That's why putting it (rice) in a salt shaker keeps the salt from clumping.

[Ron19]

Another problem is that the lens has a mind of it's own.Sometimes it wont extend or wont retract or if you change modes it will turn off and can be difficult to get it back on and that's what happened this morning when I missed a shot that I have been sweating on ever since I started the pick-up thread.So you see how frustrated that I have become with it.

Sounds like a similar problem I was having with mine Ron.I think that the problem was humidity,I also had a spot on my lens like yours (is yours when you zoom?)

Agree with the likely hood of humidity as I had the same problem. Saw a round spot, fairly dim and took more photos to see if it was a one off and it was still there and in the exact same location. Looked at the mirror and lens but couldn't spot anything and it finally went away. Worse would be mold growth and would need a professional cleaning.

For Thailand, probably a plastic box with silica gel in it to keep it dry and mold free. Did a bit of a search and appears rice does the job also. That's why putting it (rice) in a salt shaker keeps the salt from clumping.

It is a fairly old camera and as such it is most likely past it's use by date even though having said that,it is still capable of taking a good photo if it decides to play the game the way it should be played.It may well be humidity that is causing problems.I have already decided to replace it although I'll still keep it to use as a backup.

[Ron19]

Another problem is that the lens has a mind of it's own.Sometimes it wont extend or wont retract or if you change modes it will turn off and can be difficult to get it back on and that's what happened this morning when I missed a shot that I have been sweating on ever since I started the pick-up thread.So you see how frustrated that I have become with it.

Sounds like a similar problem I was having with mine Ron.I think that the problem was humidity,I also had a spot on my lens like yours (is yours when you zoom?)

I am not sure if it was the right thing to do but I took my battery out and place the camera in a bag of dried rice overnight.....seemed to clear the problem up.

Probably noy the best way to do it,hopefully someone else will come along and give you a better tip (for me also).

It doesn't seem to make any difference whether I zoom or not . I'll try the rice tip tonight and see what happens because it would be a pity to do

away with it although I have decided to go for a new one.Most likely a Sony NEX-6 which I believe is the same one that village farang is using now.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Ron19

[samuijimmy]

I've been having spot problems too, obviously inside the lens... and my lens is not auto focusing as well lately either ....

Some where way back in this forum ... perhaps a year or so, there was a discussion on Dry boxes... I just tried to find the link, with no joy...

I tried making one, with a large electric panel box .... but the bulb kept burning out after a few days .... The rice idea sounds like it's worth a try! Thanks for that ....

OK now for an image from last evening!

Edited November 2, 2013 by samuijimmy

[Fiddlesticks]

I've been having spot problems too, obviously inside the lens... and my lens is not auto focusing as well lately either ....

Some where way back in this forum ... perhaps a year or so, there was a discussion on Dry boxes... I just tried to find the link, with no joy...

I tried making one, with a large electric panel box .... but the bulb kept burning out after a few days .... The rice idea sounds like it's worth a try! Thanks for that ....

OK now for an image from last evening!

Trying to make a dry box using a light bulb may not be the ideal solution. Having an environment that is too dry is not good for the seals in many pieces of modern photo gear. I think I paid just under 5,000 baht for a three drawer, 90 liter dry box.

[MJP]

Okay, a five bracket multiple exposure, HDR blended in Photoshop, exported from Lightroom directly to CS6 HDR merge, done all the HDR adjustments . . . and after all that can't figure out how to save it to TIFF so ended up doing a screen shot and copy paste to Powerpoint where I saved the jpeg and cropped it in Picassa!!!

Edited November 2, 2013 by MJP

[MJP]

Dunno how, but used something called Luminance HDR to open the 'Invalid' HDR file output from CS6.

Edited November 2, 2013 by MJP

[MJP]

Right, got the hang of it now. Need to process as a 16 bit image in CS6 and then you can do the usual play about with the image. Can't do that in 32 bit.

Edited November 2, 2013 by MJP

[Tywais]

How to shoot heavenly sunrises and sunsets anywhere

Composition Basics: Gifts from the Sky

By Jeff Wignall

Follow these helpful picture-taking tips to get the best shots at the beginning and end of the day. If you've seen one sunset photo, you haven't seen 'em all!

One of the great things about sunsets is that they are inherently pretty; getting good pictures is largely a matter of (as photographers often joke) "f/8 and being there." But while nature will do a lot of the work for you by providing a colorful sky and nice lighting, it's still up to you to provide an interesting framework in which to display her handiwork.

See link above for more.

[MJP]

How to shoot heavenly sunrises and sunsets anywhere

Composition Basics: Gifts from the Sky

By Jeff Wignall

Follow these helpful picture-taking tips to get the best shots at the beginning and end of the day. If you've seen one sunset photo, you haven't seen 'em all!

One of the great things about sunsets is that they are inherently pretty; getting good pictures is largely a matter of (as photographers often joke) "f/8 and being there." But while nature will do a lot of the work for you by providing a colorful sky and nice lighting, it's still up to you to provide an interesting framework in which to display her handiwork.

See link above for more.

Ta! Bookmarked.

I think I've almost cracked it though . . .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/10629744635/

[Ron19]

[shaggy1969]

Sorry folks.....yet another rice field sunset.

[Fiddlesticks]

Got my lazy butt out of bed this AM and caught the beautiful sunrise. Love these cool bright mornings!

[Ron19]

[samuijimmy]

Sun rise... Haad Rin KP.

[MJP]

Sun rise... Haad Rin KP.

Oh Jimmy that's a corker!

[samuijimmy]

Sun rise... Haad Rin KP.

Oh Jimmy that's a corker!

Thanks MJP!

But the sun exploded a bit in this one... .....must have been morning after the full moon party!

[samuijimmy]

Here is another sun explosion taken on West coast of Koh Phengan!

It's the luck of the draw sometimes, how they turn out... (for me anyway!)

[MJP]

Here is another sun explosion taken on West coast of Koh Phengan!

It's the luck of the draw sometimes, how they turn out... (for me anyway!)

Jimmy, what has suddenly happened to you and your camera?!!!!

These tones are superb.

[samuijimmy]

^ MJP... I think part of some of these "improvements" are the position of screen to light....

I also had a hell of a time with my eyesight until a few months ago, which has now greatly improved ... so think that helps

I have been pocking though pics today to find some that may be suitable for the calendar!

I found an HDR button... on Picasa... Interesting effect, not sure I really like it though.... but got side tracked as I usually do, in playing around

Clouds hide the sun on this one! ....again not sure if this "turns my crank!"

Edited November 4, 2013 by samuijimmy

[MJP]

^ MJP... I think part of some of these "improvements" are the position of screen to light....

I also had a hell of a time with my eyesight until a few months ago, which has now greatly improved ... so think that helps

I have been pocking though pics today to find some that may be suitable for the calendar!

I found an HDR button... on Picasa... Interesting effect, not sure I really like it though.... but got side tracked as I usually do, in playing around

Diabetes is presently slowly robbing me of my eyesight too. It's why I need more and more expensive lenses.

Keep exploring, don't be afraid to try new ways and means. Sometimes I just push any damn button in various bits of PP software, create some mad images!

[samuijimmy]

^ MJP... I think part of some of these "improvements" are the position of screen to light....

I also had a hell of a time with my eyesight until a few months ago, which has now greatly improved ... so think that helps

I have been pocking though pics today to find some that may be suitable for the calendar!

I found an HDR button... on Picasa... Interesting effect, not sure I really like it though.... but got side tracked as I usually do, in playing around

Diabetes is presently slowly robbing me of my eyesight too. It's why I need more and more expensive lenses.

Keep exploring, don't be afraid to try new ways and means. Sometimes I just push any dam_n button in various bits of PP software, create some mad images!

This getting old ain't much fun, sometimes !

Here is a sunrise .... leaving Samui.... Lighter touch on the HDR....

By the way, to save re- posting an image in a reply you can't delete the image within the reply.... not sure how many people know that... some times my index finger gets too much exercise ... when images are re-posted several times!

I have been meaning to mention that for a while .... Certainly with Picasa, but probably Flickr too... Just right click and cut! .... (do not do on the original post though.... )

[MJP]

^ MJP... I think part of some of these "improvements" are the position of screen to light....

I also had a hell of a time with my eyesight until a few months ago, which has now greatly improved ... so think that helps

I have been pocking though pics today to find some that may be suitable for the calendar!

I found an HDR button... on Picasa... Interesting effect, not sure I really like it though.... but got side tracked as I usually do, in playing around

Diabetes is presently slowly robbing me of my eyesight too. It's why I need more and more expensive lenses.

Keep exploring, don't be afraid to try new ways and means. Sometimes I just push any dam_n button in various bits of PP software, create some mad images!

This getting old ain't much fun, sometimes !

Here is a sunrise .... leaving Samui.... Lighter touch on the HDR....

By the way, to save re- posting an image in a reply you can't delete the image within the reply.... not sure how many people know that... some times my index finger gets too much exercise ... when images are re-posted several times!

I have been meaning to mention that for a while .... Certainly with Picasa, but probably Flickr too... Just right click and cut! .... (do not do on the original post though.... )

Jimmy, I'm 38.

[samuijimmy]

^ MJP... I think part of some of these "improvements" are the position of screen to light....

I also had a hell of a time with my eyesight until a few months ago, which has now greatly improved ... so think that helps

I have been pocking though pics today to find some that may be suitable for the calendar!

I found an HDR button... on Picasa... Interesting effect, not sure I really like it though.... but got side tracked as I usually do, in playing around

Diabetes is presently slowly robbing me of my eyesight too. It's why I need more and more expensive lenses.

Keep exploring, don't be afraid to try new ways and means. Sometimes I just push any dam_n button in various bits of PP software, create some mad images!

This getting old ain't much fun, sometimes !

Here is a sunrise .... leaving Samui.... Lighter touch on the HDR....

By the way, to save re- posting an image in a reply you can't delete the image within the reply.... not sure how many people know that... some times my index finger gets too much exercise ... when images are re-posted several times!

I have been meaning to mention that for a while .... Certainly with Picasa, but probably Flickr too... Just right click and cut! .... (do not do on the original post though.... )

Jimmy, I'm 38.

oh just a young thing! .... well you can guess what I am....

from one of my dahling sisters....

anyway better keep to topic.... swimmers at sunset Ban Tai beach Samui

Edited November 4, 2013 by samuijimmy

[Rumblecat]

Couple of sunsets from round the country. First one is Krabi-



Bangkok



And finally Pattaya.

[shaggy1969]

Can you guys handle another one?

[MJP]

Can you guys handle another one?

Touched with genius!