Help With Sunset Photo

[RBChallenger]

Hi,
This was my first time out with a DSLR taking sunset photos and my first time out with my Canon EOS Rebel T1i. I set the camera to manual trying to get the exposure right. It looked good on the view finder (not that that is an accomplishment) but once I got it over I noticed that there is quite a bit more noise than I would like in it. I had similar results with numerous other photos as well. Note that I was using the standard 18-55 EF-S IS lens that comes with the T1i body/lens kit. Thanks ahead of time!!! These are the settings I took the shot with:

Tripod: Yes (I do not have a cable release or remote yet, instead set the timer for 2 seconds to ensure no shake)
Zoomed: About 50MM on the lens (not counting for the 1.6x sensor multiplier)
Shutter Speed: 1/500
ISO: 100
Apeture: F14
http://www.lightning-alley.com/_media/photos:learning_t1i:sunset_1.jpg
* Note that noise may be the wrong word, but either way it is more grainy than what I want. Basically I'd like to get it crystal clear like I see others if possible.

[canonnoob]

i dont see any grain... maybe you are pixel peeping alittle bit..
here are my suggestions..
1) shoot with a slightly smaller(wider) aperture... at the distances you are at you dont need something that large (tighter).
2) make sure that your subject ( i assume the sun doesnt cross right over the plants in the forground. -this will make the fact that the plant is out of focus more apparent.
3) get yourself just a little over where you were get over that slight ridge/hill.
4) composition, composition, composition. crop up from the bottom, and put the sun out of the center of the frame.

other than ^^ great shot and colors

[RBChallenger]

i dont see any grain... maybe you are pixel peeping alittle bit..
here are my suggestions..
1) shoot with a slightly smaller(wider) aperture... at the distances you are at you dont need something that large (tighter).
2) make sure that your subject ( i assume the sun doesnt cross right over the plants in the forground. -this will make the fact that the plant is out of focus more apparent.
3) get yourself just a little over where you were get over that slight ridge/hill.
4) composition, composition, composition. crop up from the bottom, and put the sun out of the center of the frame.

other than ^^ great shot and colors
Thanks for the compliment and advice, I really love this camera... I'm going to wear this sucker out. In regards to pixel peeping, it all seems OK to me with the exception of where the orange in the clouds meets the darker portion of the clouds. It seems a little blocky there. When I see these crystal clear pictures on the web of landscapes and sunsets are these edited in Photo Shop or are they that clear? Will upgraded lenses help with some of this (does it have to do with the fact that I am zoomed in)... I am eyeballing the 24-105mm L series lens but want to get better with the camera to actually get my money's worth first?

Good note on the location and composition. I do plan to crop and edit, this was just the outright image. I wanted desperately to get over that hill btw... I just got there late (preparation lacking on my part obviously).

Sorry for the lengthiness, I am giddy like a little id at XMas over this camera.

[aram535]

To add to Dave's comment, the horizon is just about the middle of the image. You want that on the upper or lower 1/3 of the frame for good composition. Doesn't mean you have to do it all the time, but when starting out stick with the "rules" until you know when to break them.

[OdiN1701]

It's a decent shot, but you've got no foreground, just half the picture is black. I don't think this works at all.

This is why putting the horizon line in the middle doesn't work in this image. If you had a foreground, it may have worked. Otherwise for this shot it needs to be lower and show that sky. So like aram535 said, stick with the rules until you know you can break them and get a good shot.

[APG-Angus]

More great advice but let me add this. You should take a lot of pictures. Tripod is an essential thing but that should not mean that you take fewer shots. Setup that tripod where you can comfortably look through the view finder and fire away. At 50mm and 1/500 no need to use the timer, a remote is really nice but if you have the camera in a comfortable position you should be able to use the shutter button without bouncing the camera around. Try all different compositions, move the sun all over your frame, zoom in/out. And most importantly don't pack up when the sun disappears over the horizon, that is usually when the magic happens. Shoot, shoot shoot! Its not like the film days where everytime you hit that button it cost you money, you already paid the money now make it worth it! I am serious about staying late when shooting sunsets, bring a flashlight because if you are leaving and not needing it then you left too soon.

[RBChallenger]

More great advice but let me add this. You should take a lot of pictures. Tripod is an essential thing but that should not mean that you take fewer shots. Setup that tripod where you can comfortably look through the view finder and fire away. At 50mm and 1/500 no need to use the timer, a remote is really nice but if you have the camera in a comfortable position you should be able to use the shutter button without bouncing the camera around. Try all different compositions, move the sun all over your frame, zoom in/out. And most importantly don't pack up when the sun disappears over the horizon, that is usually when the magic happens. Shoot, shoot shoot! Its not like the film days where everytime you hit that button it cost you money, you already paid the money now make it worth it! I am serious about staying late when shooting sunsets, bring a flashlight because if you are leaving and not needing it then you left too soon.

I actually did stay late and stopped to see how well "semi-macro" shots with the kit lens would work. I have quite a few more sunset shots as well, I just used this one as an example. All of the cacti photos in the link below are from the same night, all are taken using a flash and the kit lens. The purple and white flowers are taken using the USM 28-135 that my future father in-law loaned me. I actually took near 100 shots last night during my little outing, a good number of them were simply throw away due to tinkering with the camera.


http://www.lightning-alley.com/learning_my_canon_t1i

[APG-Angus]

I actually did stay late and stopped to see how well "semi-macro" shots with the kit lens would work. I have quite a few more sunset shots as well, I just used this one as an example. All of the cacti photos in the link below are from the same night, all are taken using a flash and the kit lens. The purple and white flowers are taken using the USM 28-135 that my future father in-law loaned me. I actually took near 100 shots last night during my little outing, a good number of them were simply throw away due to tinkering with the camera.


http://www.lightning-alley.com/learning_my_canon_t1i (http://www.lightning-alley.com/learning_my_canon_t1i)

After looking at the shots in the link, I think you are not always achieving good focus, though the ones of the cacti are spot on. I saw this alot when I first started shooting my 20D, I was convinced I had camera issues, nope it was me and the more I shot the more I paid attention and soon I could get what I wanted in focus more often.

Glad to hear you took a lot of shots, make sure you try different things, with the use of the exif data you can look back later and see what worked and what didn't. Sure beats keeping a film log!

[RBChallenger]

After looking at the shots in the link, I think you are not always achieving good focus, though the ones of the cacti are spot on. I saw this alot when I first started shooting my 20D, I was convinced I had camera issues, nope it was me and the more I shot the more I paid attention and soon I could get what I wanted in focus more often.

Glad to hear you took a lot of shots, make sure you try different things, with the use of the exif data you can look back later and see what worked and what didn't. Sure beats keeping a film log!

I agree with the focus thing and I am glad you said that. I have been using the auto focus, maybe that has something to do with it. I have to tinker with the zoom and the placement to get it to focus on what I want for the closeups. Ironically, I have been hoping its me and not camera as well... but I am relatively sure it is me.