Last Of The Setting Sun
A revisit to my favourite sunset shoot location at Nea Kallikratia, Chalkidiki, Greece to be presented withthis gorgeous view as the sun went down behind Mt Oly...
Read more
A revisit to my favourite sunset shoot location at Nea Kallikratia, Chalkidiki, Greece to be presented withthis gorgeous view as the sun went down behind Mt Olympos.
Read less
Read less
Jan, 2015Views
1302
Likes
Awards
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Peer Award
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Jaw Dropping
Exceptional Contrast
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this shot at a the port of a small town called Nea Kallikratia, Chalkidiki, Greece. It is approxiametley 35 km from Greece's second city of Thessaloniki.Time
If I remember right this was taken in March just before sunset so approxiamtely 5pm or thereabouts.Lighting
Due to there being a lot of broken cloud on the horizon I knew that I would not get a full orb sunset shot, but, the clouds I knew would also give a good look to the shot providing they remained broken allowing different levels of light through the gaps so adding a nice element to the shot with random area's of cloud being lit as well as having the sky in the foreground a deepening blue from the direction of the sun. Because the sky above my and into the distance was clear it also helped to balance the light across the foreground with no harsh contrasts as at sunset the foreground tends to be a lot darker than the background due to the strong source of light being the sun which in most cases leaves everything as a silhouette.Equipment
For this shot I was using at the time a Canon 60D. The lens was the Canon 40STM f2.8 pancake lens which is still a firm favourite lens of mine with being so small and so adaptable. As it was still very light I had no need for a tripod or flash as I was able to capture the boats still well lit by the ambient light.Inspiration
This is one of my favourite shoot locations for sunsets. In the background is Mount Olympus which always makes for a great sunset shot when the weather is clearer and less cloudy, more so with a larger lens. This image my aim was to capture as much of the sky with the various colour changes from the background to foreground as this location does lend itself to also providing some amazing large sky shots. Having already got some shots in landscape mode I flipped the camera to portrait to get the look I wanted.Editing
The shot is actually a 3 shot bracketed shot, for the simple reason I did not want a shot that was too highly detailed as I had already taken some, this time I change the mode in order to soften the shot of the foreground but with a nicely detailed background with the cloud detail showing. As I always do the image was first put through Photomatix Pro to combine the shots and then finished using Photoshop.In my camera bag
I carry two camera's with me now, the Canon 5d Mk3 and a Canon EOSR. I also carry the Canon RF 24-105mm f4 lens along with a Sigma 14mm f1.8 Art, a Canon 100-400mm EF f4.5, a Canon EF 11-24mm f4 as well as my old favourite the Canon 40mm STM f2.8. Because of the EOSR I also have an adapter so I can use the EF lenses on the EOSR body. I carry 2 speedlight flashguns along with a remote trigger system for off camera flash firing, an intervalueometer for long exposure and time lapse and I now also use a Benbo 1 tripod. In the side pockets I have various 150mm filters that I can attach to the lenses with a LEE filter mount bracket.Feedback
This was a very easy shot to get, and, it did not require an extensive bag of kit to capture. I am sure that something similar could be caught using one of the new up to date mobile phones so equipment wise anyone at any level of skill could capture something similar. The key was Look at all of the elements in the shot. A lot of people want to see the iconic full orb sunset with the sun in full view as it goes over the horizon, that is great but conditions are not always ideal, so you have to look to see if there us still a shot possible using what is available. Broken cloud over the sun is no bad thing, as for one you never know if there is a break big enough to expose the sun fully before it sets, so the key is to hang around, study the scene and take the shot when you think is the best time. Even if the sun stays out of sight it does not mean all is lost, far from it, as the clouds will give you some amazing chances to capture light rays along with different textures of the clouds and also keeping the foreground lit enough to capture some good detail along with colours.
