Sunrises and Sunsets - Avoiding the Cliches

My condo has a western exposure. I was looking out the window a few days ago, and forgot how pretty fall sunsets are - nice and pink. Aside from the falling leaves, it's one of the only things I like about fall. The cold and dry air are not my friends!

But never mind my weather issues. Sunrises and sunsets are among the most photographed scenes. I also think they're among the most overused. Here's what I mean: they don't always look special. At worst, they can look so generic. Admittedly, I'm really guilty of this myself:



This was taken in 2007, in an area by the Turkish border. While I don't deny that this is pretty, I could have made it so much more interesting. Here are some examples of my work that I think are better:



To me, this is more interesting because of a few areas of interest: water, clouds, and people. On their own, not so interesting, but together - really cool looking.

Here's a sunrise example:



It's hard to see this, but there's a little bird in the middle. It's an added touch (in my view) that makes this a bit more interesting. The footprints on the left also add a nice touch.

Here's one last one:



I like this one because it was taken in Key West - famous for its sunsets. I put the sunset in the background (with the ship in the distance), and focused on the geometry of where I was - straight lines. To me, it's a good mix of the natural and man-made.

Some other tips to consider:

1) Shoot in RAW, if you can - you can easily correct exposure mistakes in Aperture or Lightroom

2) Try different angles. My Destin and Kessab sets were all about moving around and seeing which shapes I could create. You never know what could crop up.

3) The horizon tool in most post-processing tools is your friend. Don't worry so much about making the picture straight - if you're only a few degrees off, it's not hard to fix - and you won't lose much.

Till tomorrow!

What I Like About You, Fall

I really dislike any season other than summer. I think the beach, the sun, the heat, the humidity, and everything that goes along with those things is heaven. I will probably complain every day until next summer. I'm just one of those people.

However, some positives:

A later sunrise and an earlier sunset - for photos such as this one, which I took at 7 am a few years ago:



Let me tell you, it was nice to not have to wake up early to take this.

Obviously, the leaves and all of the colors. Here's one shot I've always liked:



Or this one, with more foliage:



But, I need to do a few things differently this year:

1) Get some inspiration by leaving town. To that end, I'm spending the night in the Shenandoahs later this month.

2) Take pictures of something other than just leaves - I need to add some visual interest. I love cliches, don't get me wrong, but I want to take some risks this year. Maybe I'll break out that telephoto lens again, or try some macro shots. Or lie on the ground and take pictures from that angle. I won't know until I try.

3) Go on multiple outings, not just one. I suppose this means my weekends are shot. :)

What about you? How will you embrace fall?

Until tomorrow!