Sunset - not happy :(

[JuiceBox]

I am really disappointed with this shot, but I honestly can't put my finger on why. I'm not happy with the composition, but I'd like some tough input.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2732/4294009251_900f28af86_o.jpg

[canonnoob]

You took it with a Nikon? Duh....


JUST KIDDING!!!


well if you dont know why you dont like it then trash it and move on... Looks a smidge under exposed.. not much.. maybe not even a 3rd of a stop.

Possibly crop something out?

[JuiceBox]

I played around cropping it for an hour last night, and just couldn't find one that I liked. Please, (and this goes to anyone) feel free to mess with it if you think you see something I could improve on.

[Mike]

Not enough sunset and too much sky, coupled with a moon that is slap bang in the middle.

Cropping it in a bit makes it work a little better:

422996

Maybe trying the shot again a little earlier in the evening so there is a touch more colour over the horizon might work and you could also try in landscape orientation to see if that works. There are a few clouds that I can see so this shot 20 or so minutes earlier would have had some nice colours playing across those clouds.

[Green Man]

I think a simple crop is all it needs, quick and dirty:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d94/scottycameron/sunset.jpg

[Green Man]

Crap Mike, great minds blah blah blah...

[Mike]

^^Haha, you managed almost the exact same crop as me!! :D

[Quizzical_Squirrel]

I'd move the moon down to the gap between the trees and crop above there.
Ok, I know that's cheating ... :lol:

[JuiceBox]

Haha, I considered it, but I can't ever justify to myself processing a photo like that. Same thing editing in skies and clouds...just can't bring myself to do it lol.

Also, I'll try that crop when I get home from work tonight. I have some shots from earlier in the day, but not even close to the same composition. I'll play with them tonight as well and post one up.

[aebrown]

Ok so maybe I tweaked it a little too much, but this took me about a minute...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4295108531_71ab0b7896_o.jpg

[Mike]

I'd move the moon down to the gap between the trees and crop above there.
Ok, I know that's cheating ... :lol:

Hmmm...that's a possible but I quite like it on the crop I did, makes me think the trees are trying to stretch out and reach the moon...

[aebrown]

But I bet if you would have caught the shot about 20 minutes earlier, you could have had it turn out better...

I guess if you don't like PP then, this might be about the best you can get (with the crop, that is)

[kaystewartphoto]

Ok so maybe I tweaked it a little too much, but this took me about a minute...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4295108531_71ab0b7896_o.jpg

I really like that, makes the colours look a lot more vivid. Only thing i think looks wrong is the moon

[JuiceBox]

But I bet if you would have caught the shot about 20 minutes earlier, you could have had it turn out better...

I guess if you don't like PP then, this might be about the best you can get (with the crop, that is)


I was only talking about moving the moon when I said I don't like PPing a photo lol.

[aebrown]

I was only talking about moving the moon when I said I don't like PPing a photo lol.

Ahhh ic ic, I need to read the whole post next time don't I?! :rolleyes:

[JohnK_UK]

Well, as soon as I saw it, I thought too much sky at the top, too much black at the bottom... but other people have said that and done the obvious, so I thought I'd go a little more extreme. What about this one?

[JuiceBox]

I like that idea, and I'll probably play with something like that with one of my other shots. I'll have that posted up this evening.

[Flo]

This also makes a great B&W...I tried a 16X9 crop, some GND on the lower level, and a tad on the upper...

Very nice capture.
http://macymae.smugmug.com/Nature/Misc/4294009251900f28af86o/770701319_aSNJt-L.jpg

[JuiceBox]

Can you show me your BnW? I actually tried it with this shot last night, and liked it even less than the color shot.

[hawkskins]

Just playing with a different crop.

[Flo]

Can you show me your BnW? I actually tried it with this shot last night, and liked it even less than the color shot.

Just a run .but with the original.it wouldn't have the compression..
http://macymae.smugmug.com/Animals/Animals/4294009251900f28af86o/771158619_oHDKa-M.jpg

[hughes_57]

I like Flo's version

[joedlh]

I would have sought a different set of trees. There's no identifiable point of interest and the composition just doesn't grab me. The gap on the left is intrusive. The half tree there seems like you didn't regard what it would take away from the composition. I wonder if you had positioned yourself so that the moon was in the gap it might have made a more compelling image. True, it's too high in the sky at this time of day/phase. But...

As to the moon, it's too small and overexposed to be of interest. If this were my shot, I would have taken a telephoto shot of the moon alone. In post processing, I would have cloned out the tiny moon and pasted my zoomed-in moon in the gap. That would make it as big as my mind's eye remembered it, as well as bringing the exposure within the dynamic range of the sensor. It would be a challenge to get the surrounding colors right, but it would at least be an interesting effort and might give you an image worthy of wall space.

[DrFil]

honestly, the subject is just not very interesting. it's weird, but a lot of times, the pictures i think are gonna turn out amazing don't. and then pictures where i'm just screwing around or showing someone how exposure works turn out to be amazing. don't sweat it, just move on.

[Annie Social]

To my mind the moon needs to be off-center and a lot larger. It's not big enough to provide a real center of interest.