On this particular evening I thought the conditions looked promising for a nice sunset. There were light clouds to reflect and defuse the light but nothing so dense to completely block it.
The first photo is a HDR created from five exposures processed in Photomatrix Pro. I don’t do many HDR’s so my technique’s a little rough but I do find them appealing and interesting when done correctly and not “over-done” to the point where they look like something from a bad dream.
The second image was made a few feet further down the boardwalk with a bit longer focal length. I exposed the shot for the foreground vegetation go solid black intentionally — I like the interesting silhouette to break up and add interest to the horizon.
Searching the Internet you’ll find thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of photos of sunsets and/or sunrises, so you might ask why did I want to spend three evenings taking shots that may seem more tourist than fine art. I guess you could say I’m doing the math…
“You only get one sunrise and one sunset a day, and you only get so many days on the planet. A good photographer does the math and doesn’t waste either.” – Galen Rowell
Have a great weekend, everyone!
I like the Galen Rowell quote. I downloaded the trial version of Photomatix but have not purchased it. I struggled with what I ended up with. However when I see images like this I want to go back and give it another try. Have a great weekend!
Monte, thanks. I still struggle as well finding the right balance with HDR rendering. I usually feel the initial results are too harsh and spend most of my time “toning it down.” But I’ve seen some who’s result I like so every once in a while I try again. :-)
I love Florida, the wife is going down next week to see our son, and checkout some new property.
I love that quote.
Don, thanks. I like Florida for short visits but it’s too flat for longer stays. ;-) You thinking of moving there?
Beautiful passage, fantastic sunset
like this
Manda, thank-you, I’m glad you like it and I appreciate your comment.
You did alright with the HDR Earl – quite good actually. I like the brighter area in the foreground that leads you into the image. This situation is a perfect application for using it.
Mark, I certainly value your judgement and opinion, thanks! I’m still defining where my preferences in the balancing of HDR rendering lie.