I'm having issues taking pictures of the sunset..

[Philippine Mango]

I'm trying to take pictures of the sunset with my digital camera but the problem is the sunset looks fine but everything below the sunset (scenery) is too underexposed so everything looks black and then you've got the sun above it looking alright. I need to figure out how to expose everything equally or at least to make everything else look much more lit with out the sun being overexposed to look like it's in the middle of the day opposed to the sun setting.

Does anybody get what I'm trying to ask?

 

[eelw]

Can your camera take RAW photos? If so, you will have the ability to split the layers and manually adjust each section to make the entire photo with the right exposure level.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

I usually slightly over-expose it by taking a spot exposure of the darker ground area, then raising the camera up and taking the picture. The sunset comes out slightly bright; the ground slightly dark; but neither one is horribly unbalanced. Kinda like the picture in my sig down there. My friend took that one of me, but it's the same effect I get after a few tries with the spot exposure thing. It's the best I can do with my digicam anyway.

 

[FilmCamera]

You really need multiple exposures to do sunsets proper justice.

 

[Ika]

y helo thar goku

 

[timswim78]

Originally posted by: eelw
Can your camera take RAW photos? If so, you will have the ability to split the layers and manually adjust each section to make the entire photo with the right exposure level.

Nice photo. If your friend used a flash, your face would be a little brighter.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

Originally posted by: timswim78

Originally posted by: eelw
Can your camera take RAW photos? If so, you will have the ability to split the layers and manually adjust each section to make the entire photo with the right exposure level.

Nice photo. If your friend used a flash, your face would be a little brighter.

are you talking about my photo? Yeah, there was still enough light out that the auto flash didn't trigger. Looking back, it would have been smart to have forced it. But, at least the sunset looks nice.

 

[timswim78]

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead

Originally posted by: timswim78

Originally posted by: eelw
Can your camera take RAW photos? If so, you will have the ability to split the layers and manually adjust each section to make the entire photo with the right exposure level.

Nice photo. If your friend used a flash, your face would be a little brighter.

are you talking about my photo? Yeah, there was still enough light out that the auto flash didn't trigger. Looking back, it would have been smart to have forced it. But, at least the sunset looks nice.

Yes, I was talking about the photo in the sig. I just mentioned the flash thing for the benefit of the OP.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

From my hotel room in Maui in September.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
From my hotel room in Maui in September.

Damn! Now that's... a sunset! You can keep that silly Hawaiian weather though, I like my snow.

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: Aflac
y helo thar goku

Um I thought I made this clear, my brother is banned and I am not, while we my appear similar, we are two different people.. Him being banned was unjust and completely uncalled for.

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
I usually slightly over-expose it by taking a spot exposure of the darker ground area, then raising the camera up and taking the picture. The sunset comes out slightly bright; the ground slightly dark; but neither one is horribly unbalanced. Kinda like the picture in my sig down there. My friend took that one of me, but it's the same effect I get after a few tries with the spot exposure thing. It's the best I can do with my digicam anyway.

Thats what I've been kind of doing but since it's on a tripod I basically over the sunset with my hand, have the camera focus and then quickly move my hand out of the way to take the picture, I'm fairly certain thats not how I should do it.. Bleh..

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango

Originally posted by: Aflac
y helo thar goku

Um I thought I made this clear, my brother is banned and I am not, while we my appear similar, we are two different people.. Him being banned was unjust and completely uncalled for.

Amazing how you start posting a whole lot more now that he is gone.

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango

Originally posted by: Aflac
y helo thar goku

Um I thought I made this clear, my brother is banned and I am not, while we my appear similar, we are two different people.. Him being banned was unjust and completely uncalled for.

Amazing how you start posting a whole lot more now that he is gone.

Yes, a whole lot more.. :roll:

 

[Mrvile]

Does your camera allow exposure bracketing?

 

[Aharami]

this pic was taken with a P&S (Canon A85) and then later edited in PS (auto-contrast, unsharp mask). The auto contrast really changed the dynamic of the pic and made it look a lot better

 

[yhelothar]

HDR.
Take two pics using exposure compensation(or bracketing if your camera has it).
One with the sunset overexposed but the foreground well exposed.
Another with the sunset well exposed, but the foreground underexposed.
Combine in photoshop.
Winnar.

 

[montanafan]

I don't see a dark foreground as being a problem with sunsets photos, especially if there is something recognizable or with some texture in the foreground. It can make the sunset look even more dramatic.

But if you really want to try to even them out, do what astroidea said. For your two exposures you would probably get a better result if you waited until the sunset was almost over and then go with something like two exposures both at a small aperture of about F20 or so, ISO 100. Use an exposure of around 10s for the foreground and a 1s exposure for the sky. Then blend the two shots together in PS. Keep in mind that these settings are for a pretty dark sky and your composite may turn out even lighter than you're looking for, it's just an example to give you an idea of how to expose the two shots for sky and foreground and then blend them.