lindabrown_9983

Point Lonsdale Sunset

NIKON D750

settings

Aperture 9/1 ISO 100 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 280/10

upload_date

Aug, 2016

Views

108

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at the Point Lonsdale Signal Station located in the state of Victoria, Australia. The lighthouse is a landmark in the area and marks the only seabourne approach to Melbourne.

Time

This photo was taken at sunset and we were lucky enough to have been provided with an exceptional one that night. Great cloud cover provided so much interest in the sky and the pier gave me the leading lines that are always attractive in a photo composition. The sun was almost below the hills when i shot this photo and I managed to get 3 frames showing the sunburst before it disappeared.

Lighting

Due to the sun being very bright in the frame and not having any filters with me, I exposed for the sun and and underexposed the entire photo by 1 stop. From memory this was handheld. It was taken on F9, iso 100 and shutter speed 1/160.

Equipment

I used a Nikon D750 with a 28-300mm lens..This was taken at 280mm. No flash and no tripod were used, this was handheld from memory.

Inspiration

I love landscapes, everything about capturing a beautiful vista or inspiring part of the natural environment..But, to take a good landscape shot is very difficult I have found. To me, a landscape should evoke a feeling in the viewer that they want to go to that place, that what they are viewing is somehow otherwordly, ethereal, a place that they are amazed to discover actually exists. The light on the night I took this photo, the drama of the sky and peacefulness of the empty beach, all of these elements were calling out to captured and preserved.

Editing

This photo did need to be post-processed as it was taken as a RAW file and underexposed so the foreground details would not be lost against the bright sky so the original file was underwhelming at first glance, but i knew all beauty was there, it just need to be brought out. The highlights were lowered and the shadows were raised in Lightroom along with adding some contrast and virbrance to the sky. I think i also used a graduated filter for the upper part of the sky and a radial filter to increase exposure in targeted areas on the hills..

In my camera bag

I have a few lenses but I don't carry them all around with me at the same time so depending on what I am going to photograph I choose a particular lens that will fit for that particular day. For Landscapes and Streetscapes I usually carry 2 lenses with me, a Nikon 28-300mm 3.5 and a Tamron 24-70 2.8 as well as a Nikon D750 DSLR, filters, a BlackRapid over the shoulder strap and a sturdy but lightweight tripod. I also have a Nikon 50mm 1.8 prime and a Nikon 105mm 2.8 prime lens which I use for portraits and Macro, but I am not so keen on taking these types of photos so they don't get too much of a workout!

Feedback

For sunsets its imperative that you are patient. The best colours come just before the sun sets and then after the sun has gone down. So many times I have seen people pack up their camera gear the minute the sun goes below the horizon only to miss the wonder bands of colour that appear 15 minutes later. Handheld though, after the sun has disappeared is very difficult so a tripod would be needed to capture this, without having to increase ISO. Walk around and try different angles, dont just stay in the same spot and take the same photo, move left and right, go farther out, try different focal lengths, bend down if you have to. I would class myself as an enthusiastic amateur and am still learning the ropes of everything to do with photography but by being patient and taking my time composing images and getting to know my camera I have seen a big improvement over the last couple of years both in the quality of my images and in the composition of them. Just keep taking photos!

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Point Lonsdale Sunset

Behind The Lens

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