Sunset on the Ridge Wrap Up 1.8.12

Last Saturday I did a wrap up of the New Year's Day sunset I experienced on Indian Beach in Oregon. For today's post I decided to do the same thing with the sunset I captured from a ridge a few miles from my house. I have made many references to my obsession/addiction to sunset and silhouette photography. I am drawn to the colors and the majesty of experiencing a sunset. I strive to capture the beauty and the awe that sunsets fill me with. In terms of shooting a sunset there are two things I have learned that I would love to share with you.

1. A high aperture number (I shoot for f/9.0 or higher) helps to capture the entirety of the landscape and keep the majority of it in focus. This may result in a slow shutter speed so I always have my tripod with me!

2. Meter off the color you want to feature and adjust your settings accordingly. I often take a few pictures from the same perspective and in each one I meter off of a different color. It gives me many options!

Photography is a constant learning and growing experience for me. I know I will never stop learning and trying new things. These are just two tips that have helped me and I wanted share :o). The photos below are SOOC and were taken in the span of about 30 minutes. I hope you enjoy taking a journey through this sunset. Thank you for visiting!

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/200, f/11 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/800, f/10 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/50, f/10 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/160, f/10 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/60, f/10 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/80, f/9.0 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/30, f/8.0 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/30, f/8.0 (full manual, daylight wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 250mm, ss1/60, f/14 (full manual, tripod)

"Nature is painting for us... day after day... pictures of infinite beauty." -  John Ruskiin

Linking up to SOOC Saturday, check out the other SOOC shots! Also linking up with The Simple Things and Scenic Sunday. Be sure to take a look at the beautiful photos there as well!

  

Moonlit Sky 1.8.12

After seeing an amazing sunset, the moon came out and it was exceedingly bright and full. There was a big bank of clouds moving across the moon and I wanted to capture the details of the moon and the clouds. To get the details of the moon I had to underexpose and to get the clouds I had to overexpose. Therefore, I relied on Lightroom to achieve what I was going for. I used a photo where you could see the clouds and then the adjustment brush on the moon to underexpose it. I like the result as it showcases the contrast of the texture of the moon with the texture of the clouds. For the second photo I wanted to capture the brightness of the moon. With the slow shutter speed I was also able to get a bit of cloud movement as well. I did a clean edit in the goal of playing up with drama of the lighting. What do you think? Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 400, 250mm, ss1/30, f/11 (full manual, tripod)

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss5.0sec, f/9.0 (full manual, tripod)

"I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul...we're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." - Neil Armstrong

Linking up with the link ups below! Take a moment to check out the other fabulous photos...you will not be sorry :o).