Xmas Sunset

[Nikolai]

Went to a local beach (El Matador for those in the know) around sunset with family (kinda xmas tradition for athe last few years), and I decided at least to try to get one of those "30 min after sunset" images that Seastack, LiguidAir and others were taking so magnificently.
Well, this is not on par with their work yet, but hey, man's gotta start somewhere...

http://nik.smugmug.com/photos/236016386-XXL.jpg

Canon 40D + EF-S 17-55/2.8, ISO 100, f/9.0 @ 30" (tripod, of course) plus light painting with 580EXII. Taken arounf 5:30 pm.

[Chrissiebeez_NL]

love the foreground! :thumb

nice work!

[kdog]

Very cool shot, Nik. :thumb

Can you tell us more about how you light painted with the 580EXII? Was it mounted on a different camera?

Cheers,
-joel

[Phil U.]

Oh yea, this is beautiful. :thumb

[Nikolai]

love the foreground! :thumb
nice work!
Thanks, Chris! :thumb
Yeah, the foreground was what drew me to this shot.:wink

[Nikolai]

Oh yea, this is beautiful. :thumb
Thanks, Phil, glad you liked it! :thumb

[Nikolai]

Very cool shot, Nik. :thumb

Can you tell us more about how you light painted with the 580EXII? Was it mounted on a different camera?

Cheers,
-joel

Joel,
thank you!

No, it was not on another camera :-) I simply took it off, set it to Manual 1/8th power and made it flash a few times trying to make the foreground a bit brighter. It's not an exact science, you have to try it.
HTH

[Antonio Correia]

For a first time shot it is really good Nikolai ! :lust
May be without the footprint ...
Oh, come on. Next year ! :wink
Health for the Family and for yourself in 2008, Nikolai :D
With lots of good photos, needless to say ...:D
:thumb

[Kayguarnay]

Oh wow!:clap I can feel the sand running away in this shot. The effect is stunning! Can you share how you took this photo? I can never take a 30-min after and make it look like a distinct sunset.

[ehughes]

Sweet shot Nik..:thumb

[Nikolai]

Sweet shot Nik..:thumb
Thank Ed, appreciate it!:thumb

[Nikolai]

For a first time shot it is really good Nikolai ! :lust
May be without the footprint ...
Oh, come on. Next year ! :wink
Health for the Family and for yourself in 2008, Nikolai :D
With lots of good photos, needless to say ...:D
:thumb

Thank you, Antonio!
Yeah, I know about the footprint, I simply didn't have time to wait till it disappears: light was going out and my family was already waiting for me in the car...:dunno
All the best to you and your family, too!

[Nikolai]

Oh wow!:clap I can feel the sand running away in this shot. The effect is stunning! Can you share how you took this photo? I can never take a 30-min after and make it look like a distinct sunset.
Thank you!
"30 min after the sunset" is considered by many the best time to take the sunset pictures, colors are deep, eerie and still present.
All you need is time, a good tripod/head that can go very low (this shot was taken ~1ft from the surface - LiveView of 40D came in very handy:-), a wide-angle lens (this was 17-55, I should've used 10-22, but I left it in my car 100ft above the beach) and a camera that can do long exposures, preferably with full manual control (I used my 40D).
I also flashed my 580 at 1/8th of the power 2-3 times, holding it free hand.
And of course, I shot raw :-)
HTH

[ChatKat]

Nik - love the image - very beautiful!

[Nikolai]

Nik - love the image - very beautiful!
Whoa, Kathy, long time no see!
Thanks! :thumb

[GREAPER]

Nice colors and composition. Well done

[Nikolai]

Nice colors and composition. Well done
Thanks, Brian!:thumb

[f00sion]

foreground is excellent, i vote for changing up the sky to a nice deep dark blue. sunsets in socal have been awesome the past week or 2, gotta get to the beach sometime this weekend... stupid job won't let me leave at 3:30 to get there in time. :dunno

[Nikolai]

foreground is excellent, i vote for changing up the sky to a nice deep dark blue. sunsets in socal have been awesome the past week or 2, gotta get to the beach sometime this weekend... stupid job won't let me leave at 3:30 to get there in time. :dunno

Thanks!
I hear ya about the job - oh well, it's almost Friday, and New Year is coming, too:-)