[maxgroebel]

Hi,
Several shots I have made of sunsets have become unsatisfactory (on K3II and K20D). One does not see the whole range of colour shade. It often looks very ugly, with in particular very unnatural yellow shades, and very stark contrasts. I have got the impression that this not a problem only for me; I sometimes see it on picture by more competent photographers who should have better equipment? Have I got it wrong? Is it insufficient colour depth? Or does it depend on bad equipment, computer and YV screens etc? Or is this yellow thing a general weak spot in digital photography?
Max

[Lowell Goudge]

I use spot metering, Pick close to the sun and let the rest go where it wants,

I shoot jpeg, and use both Shadow and highlight Protection which extends the dynamic range bu a couple of stops, to help out.

You will get a lot of silhouettes which is part of the feature of a sunset. If you want to capture this and a foreground subject, meter as I recommend, and fill near objects with flash

[sergysergy]

Hello Max, Can you post some examples? Sunsets are very tricky due to the wide range of light and shadows.

[hcc]

I agree with sergysergy that sunsets can be tricky. My own experience is that it is all about timing and a good (high IQ) fast lens helps a lot. In Australia, the colours changed very quickly at sunset in a matter of minutes. The timing is very critical. It may be less critical in other parts of the world, but it remains a challenge to get he best conditions IMHO. I got my best sunset shots with a my VL58mm f1.4. It is a manual fast lens, well-reputed for outstanding IQ.

My 5 cents, hoping that it may help.

[sbh]

If it is about the colour then the white balance is important. It can change the look from deep yellow to red or pink or blue. If you shoot raw then try to adjust the white balance and the tint to your liking. If you shoot jpeg then use live view and manually change the white balance when shooting.

[stevebrot]

Sunsets are difficult and while it would be tempting to blame the metering system, most of the blame belongs to the subject and part belongs to our perception. The photo below looks pretty much the way I remember it and strangely enough did not require much attention in PP. Might I add that it was done using automated exposure (Av) with multi-segment metering, auto white balance, and zero exposure compensation. It was truly a no brain capture taken quickly before the boat disappeared down the way.


Pentax K-3, Sigma 17-70/2.8-4 (C)


This next was taken from the same dock twenty minutes earlier and while I like what I got, I remember the colors being a little more dynamic. I did not do much at exposure time, except review the histogram, figuring I could do magic in PP.


Pentax K-3, Sigma 17-70/2.8-4 (C)

A few words about doing "magic" in PP. If one wants to boost color in PP, it helps to have the desired color to boost and not have the boost throw the rest of the image off. I really like the mother of pearl look and figured that throwing crimson onto the sky would be out of character. Instead, I just waited for the sun to go low enough to fully develop the color that might be had.


Steve

[Silent Street]

Sunsets require context, and there are several good examples shown in this thread. A sunset alone is rarely successful.
Another way of approaching sunsets is to turn your back on it and photograph the light across the sky from behind you — the Rise of the Belt of Venus, or 'afterglow' is enriched in many subtle colours, predominantly blues/pinks and occasionally orange.

Sunsets are very, very high in contrast and difficult for many cameras to manage. Spot metering is only of value where there can be multiple 'weights' applied to specific light and dark (but not brightest or darkest areas) then averaged.

[pepperberry farm]

Hi,
Several shots I have made of sunsets have become unsatisfactory (on K3II and K20D). One does not see the whole range of colour shade. It often looks very ugly, with in particular very unnatural yellow shades, and very stark contrasts. I have got the impression that this not a problem only for me; I sometimes see it on picture by more competent photographers who should have better equipment? Have I got it wrong? Is it insufficient colour depth? Or does it depend on bad equipment, computer and YV screens etc? Or is this yellow thing a general weak spot in digital photography?
Max

I find this part interesting - you write as if this has happened recently, that the photos you used to take with these camera bodies were satisfactory... what's changed?

again - without examples, it is hugely difficult to help

[Cerebum]

On a sunset, set your wb to CTE (colour tone enhancement, a Pentax original, designed to bring out the colour in a sunset), lock your exposure in a bright part of the sky but not directly at the sun and experiment. I always shoot raw

[dms]

WB and exposure are likely the issues, but you should post the image so we can say more.
--For exposure as already posted take a spot reading near the sun, and I suggest bracketing till you get some experience--maybe 0, +1, +2 ev.
--For WB I suggest sunlight setting, and also try AWB (both).

These kinds of issues are about technique, and almost never fixed by digital vs film or better/different equipment.

[stevebrot]

On a sunset, set your wb to CTE (colour tone enhancement, a Pentax original, designed to bring out the colour in a sunset), lock your exposure in a bright part of the sky but not directly at the sun and experiment. I always shoot raw

CTE is an interesting feature. What it does is balance to the predominant color in the frame rather than correcting against it as sometimes happens with regular auto WB. With sunsets, similar might be accomplished by going with a set 5200K (daylight).


Steve

[maxgroebel]

Well, Since you are asking I am enclosing a crop of a terrible picture, with no sharpness at all, of cranes at sunset. Admitteldy it was taken with a K20D and an old A 70-210.
Thank you all for valuable tips. But the gist of my question aactually was the last sentence. Since I have seen other terrible pciture, taken by others, I was wondering whether there was a general problem with digital photography in that part of the spectrum.
Since no one has jumped to the theory the answer is, apparently, no.

[35mmfilmfan]

In my experience, ISO 1600 on a K20D is 'optimistic' - I have never achieved acceptable results on mine at that sensitivity. I have never heard of an issue such as you query with digital - as you used a shutter speed of 1/400, you could probably have lowered the ISO and the shutter speed somewhat. Interesting that much of the sky is burned out, while the cranes themselves are virtual silhouettes - did you check the histogram for this shot, do you recall ? BTW, was this shot taken four years ago, or is the date set incorrectly on your K20 ?

[stevebrot]

Since no one has jumped to the theory the answer is, apparently, no.

That is a very reasonable conclusion.


Steve

[dms]

The photo of the sunset with geese shows the problem that the DR is too large for the sensor and the exposure was set by the camera, which tried to make the geese and lower part of sky a midtone. But as the sunset is the subject of the image you must take a proper exposure reading, or look at the camera result and put in several stops lower ev and retake the image. Then the geese and any foreground if present will be in silhouette. It is ultimately about technique--about learning more about exposure and not letting the camera make all the decisions.