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Sunset Photography

by Charles Gantt

Yesterday I received an email from a subscriber asking me how to get those stunning sunset photographs

“……Can you explain some of the methods you use to take such great sunset shots? …….I have tried in the past and failed each time to produce a image even close to the ones you have on your site……..

Sharron K.
Spartanburg, SC “

So I came up with some tips to help you capture sunsets like a pro.

Lets face it sunsets may be one of the most over photographed scenes in the world. Everyone does it, but not everyone does it good. A lot of people wont own up to it but everyone from beginners to amateurs to pro have all stepped up and faced the falling sun with camera in hand. It can be as easy of a task or as hard of a task as you want it to be. There are some tips that will make the job a lot easier if you follow them.

General tips.

1. Arrive early and scout out the best location possible. This could mean arriving anywhere from 30 min before the sun starts falling to several hours early. Make sure you know when the sun is going to set and what direction the sun will set. The best sunset photos are well thought out and well planned.
2. Bring a tripod with you. This is a no brainier. For that perfect composition and blur free image always use a tripod.
3. Start shooting when the sun first begins to get close to the horizon. I tend to like the silhouetted tree line type sunset images or the water reflected ones. The higher the sun is the better the reflection will be on the water. The lower the sun is the more color there will be in the sky.
4. Pick a day when the sky is filled with patchy and wispy clouds. The clouds add a whole new element into a sunset.
5. If you plan on hiking to a remote location let someone know where you are. Most times you will be walking back in the dark and could get injured or lost. Remember to bring a flashlight and a snack for the long hikes.
6. Use center weighted averaged spot metering.
7. Always shoot in RAW and auto white balance then control the white balance in the post processing.

Manual setting tips

1. For a dark silhouetted tree line or landscape set your aperture somewhere between F11 and F22 and keep the ISO at 100. Control the exposure with your shutter speed.
2. For a more evenly lit foreground use some fill flash and keep the aperture around F11
3. For a more full tonal range image bracket the scene at 1/3 stop intervals and a second bracket sequence at 1 stop intervals. Then combine the images into an HDR using a program like Photoshop or my favorite Photomatrix

Post processing and Printing tips

1. Don’t be afraid to up the saturation a little in post processing.
2. Be careful and don’t over sharpen the image
3. If printing at home or at a discount store print on mat paper
4. If printing with an online supplier like mpix their metallic paper is great for sunsets. Especially ones with water and reflections in the scene.

More of my sunset images. Click the thumbnails for larger images

Check out more photos on our site. http://cjganttphotography.com

Political Photography
By Charles Gantt

Every 3 years or so a few photographers get the chance to photograph the people who run this country. Not everyone gets this chance as most campaign events require press credentials from a major media outlet. Sure some slip through the cracks and make it in with there gear. This year I was contacted by a fairly well known political website and was asked to photograph a few political campaign events. This was a new discipline for me as I mainly shoot sports. So I talked to several friends in the photo-journalistic community and picked up a few pointers. I would like to share them with my readers. Below is a list of 5 of the tips followed by brief explanations.

List:
1. Always call in advance and have your name put on the media list.
2. Focus on head to mid chest level composition.
3. Shoot often and always be prepared.
4. Be courteous to the speaker and your fellow peers.
5. Leave early and get the images on the wire before anyone else.

Explanations:
1. Most political events are placed under high security. If you show up with a backpack full of gear and you are not on the list then you might be denied access.

2. 99% of the population concentrate on the face and hand gestures of speakers.

3. I missed a candidate tearing up this year because I had lowered my camera and the lens cap on. If I would have been ready I would have captured a great shot and possibly made a few extra bucks off of the image.

4. If the Press stage is located close to the speaker and the lighting is good then turn off the flash and bump up the ISO  bit. These guys get blasted by flashes hundreds of thousands of times a week. If the press area is located a fair distance away from the speaker then by all means use some flash.

5. This is more for your editor or clients than for your self. Every news organization in the world loves to be the first   with new information. Always being early with the images will make you look good in there eyes.

We are
now planning the 2008 Southern Shootout. Date is not set yet but we do know the shootout will take place in the spring. There are 10 positions available for models and 3 positions available for photographers.This shootout like all our others is a TFCD shootout. This will give models a chance to work with 5 photographers and the Opportunity for photographers to build their portfolio. We are seeking inexperienced new models to very experienced models. Anyone wanting to apply may apply. If you would like to apply for a position please email us. Models please include a photo and a short essay why we should choose you. We do ask that you please keep all photographs fully clothed that are sent to us. Photographers please email us a link to your work. There will be 2 model coaches on hand for lessons. They do charge a small fee but trust us when we say it is worth it.

We are proud to finally get this new feature off the ground. After several months of planning and talking to the modeling community we have began selection for our first model of the month. If you don’t know what Model of the Month is the let me explain. Much like our Athlete of the Week, out Model of the month will be featured on our Model of the Month page. She will also be featured right here on the home page, in the blog and in the newsletter.

Welcome to Charles J Gantt Photography’s blog. Every week or so you will find a new post on here. Most will pertian to photography and techniques. I hope to answer 1 question a week sent in by our subscribers. So if you have a question about anything photography related then email it to us.

Also each week we will showcase an athlete who has been chosen to be our Athlete of the Week. The athletes we choose will have played in a game we covered that week or the week before. If you are an athlete and would like to become Athlete of the Week then just send us a brief email explaining why you should be chosen. Also please include a short bio and a few stats. Athletes chosen will be featured on our home page, Athlete of the Week page, Through the Lens blog and our monthly news letter.

Another new feature of Charles J Gantt Photography is the Model of the Month. Each month we will choose a model who stood out during there shoot. She will be featured on our model of the month page as well as the monthly newsletter, Through the Lens blog      as well as our home page.