Sunsets in Switzerland

[seb]

Due to the mountains, we don't get red sunsets on the horizon. Except there are clouds that reflects the light of the sun, that is already behind the earth.

 

Two weeks ago and yesterday we had an evening like that and I made some shots. I'm not experienced in postprocessing landscape in PS but wanted to try it out with these shots.

What do you think? Too much? Too dark? What can I do better?

 

Clouds over Üetliberg

Sonnenuntergang überm Üetliberg by seflick, auf Flickr

 

Sunset over Zürich

Sonnenuntergang by seflick, auf Flickr

 

Train into the Night

Mittelland by seflick, auf Flickr

[miran]

Beautiful! I like the first one most, the panorama. The other two... the sky is nice but foreground not so much.

[seb]

Thanks miran. I see it the same, may you explain me why the foreground is "bad"?

It's one of my first attempts to landscape and I'm really glad to hear some criticism.

 

I tried to stay realistic with the darkness of the foreground to the brightness of the sky. But maybe I have to break that, but I don't know a good way.

[Jeffmurray]

Beautiful colours.

[A850]

there's a lot you should take into consideration apart from the foreground. e.g.:

use a tripod and close the aperture to 11F in Pct Nr1: sunstar.

use lower iso or different camera in pict Nr2: too much grain on that one: lack of sharpness

crop blue sky on pict Nr 3: would make sunset more interesting

 

overall: too little contrast,not enough sharpness  improve lightroom skills, buy tripod

[steve of stonehenge]

Photo #1:  Clouds are beautiful!  Your composition could be better by lowering the camera so that maybe 1/3 is mountains and 2/3 clouds.  Then do two graduated filters in Lightroom/Photoshop.  On the top make it a little darker.  On the bottom do it lighter.  Use virtual copies and experiment with different graduated filters to see what works best.

Photo #2:  Much better composition.  The small road acts as a leading line into the photo and draws the eyes into the center.  Very effective technique.  As in Photo #1, you could use a darker graduated filter on the top and a second lighter graduated filter on the bottom.

Photo #3:  The sky is a nice blue, but shows too much.  Since the train is the focus of the photo, it would be better to "anchor" it using the rule of thirds.  If possible the train track could act as a leading line to the train.  As in the first two photos, the sky could be darker and the ground (foreground) be lighter.

 

Go to this free website and view some of his free videos:

 

http://photoserge.com/tutorials

 

He is a Frenchman living in Paris and most of his work is in Paris.  But I have learned a lot watching his videos.  He has had one or two new ones each week.  Most topics are on Lightroom but some in Photoshop.  I have even purchased a few of his training classes.  They are worth the money.  He puts them on sale frequently so do not pay full price.

[steve of stonehenge]

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Here is my 5-minute edit in Lightroom of the original photo #2:

[Guest all8]

Silhouetting the foreground can also work, like in the first shot, especially when the foreground is boring and the horizon has some interest (in that case the outline of the alps). But in each case it looks a little dull, a bit on the brightness might also help (not exposure).

 

Here is my 5 minute edit      Curves (to darken the foreground), +11 brightness, +3 contrast, +1 saturation, +16 clarity.

[a_pavlin]

Like the 2nd one, got a nice ambient and mix of colours, great shot indeed

[seb]

Thank you so much guys! I really like critic. It helps a lot, to get new ideas and better technics!

 

@A850:

You're so true about the tripod. I was on the way home and didn't had time to go home for it.

The first was a panorama out of camera (wanted just to try this function). I'm not so satisfied of the result, because there is to much cooking if you go on 100%.

The 2nd has a meh foreground. It is ISO 100, but maybe too much "luminosity mask" cooking in the foreground. Someone else said: If I have such a foreground I would not make the picture.

The 3rd has a "boring" sky. But your idea is good. I'll try that!

 

@steve of stonehedge:

I agree with you on the first. tried it several times to get more hills on it. But the angle was quite bad and the city and some trees are coming close to fast. so I took the one where the hills are only a thin line. All others didnt worked. I need a better spot!

photo #2: good the road did his part. It's thing only thing besides the poplar that I like on the foreground. I made a version with brighter foreground and some darkening for drama (almost like yours but in PS with better masks, but also with 15min work. ). But then still the houses, the fence and a lot other destroys the picture. Tomorrow evening I'm at home so I'll post it to compare.

3rd: Yepp, I'll try that crop with the rule of thirds (as already said to A850) and the shift in luminosity. I'll post that too!

 

@timde:

as I wrote to the others, the foreground destroys the whole sky. maybe your approach is the one that works. I'll try that too.

 

Thank you all!

 

@Jeffmurry + @a_pavlin: thx

[seb]

For a little offtopic break in this thread: here is one from the same evening:

 

_DSC2282 by seflick, auf Flickr

[Guest all8]

I really like that tree ... in my walks I also have one that for a long time I could not figure out how to photograph until recently, in case that gives you and idea the link is here: https://500px.com/photo/121279593/lone-oak-by-tim-?from=user_library

 

Actually, in this following picture you can see one distinct tree, which is the same tree from the previous photo ... but this time playing with longer exposures

https://500px.com/photo/119728639/one-tree-by-tim-?from=user_library

 

 

That tree really brings a sense of movement.

[seb]

I really like that tree ... in my walks I also have one that for a long time I could not figure out how to photograph until recently, in case that gives you and idea the link is here: https://500px.com/photo/121279593/lone-oak-by-tim-?from=user_library

 

Actually, in this following picture you can see one distinct tree, which is the same tree from the previous photo ... but this time playing with longer exposures

https://500px.com/photo/119728639/one-tree-by-tim-?from=user_library

 

 

That tree really brings a sense of movement.

 

Thanks, I was thinking about coming back once in the future with a tripod to reshoot this with a low shutterspeed and higher f-stop. the tree is moving quite strong, so it may get an intresting picture.

this oak on your pictures lives on a nice place.

[seb]

here are the answers:

(I didnt put too much effort into it, because of the bad foreground in #2 and the meh sky in #3)

 

 

 

thank you guys for the tipps! I need more practice!

[seb]

It looks like the links didn't worked. Here's the fix!

 

panorama var by seflick, auf Flickr

 

sunset var by seflick, auf Flickr

 

nighttrain var by seflick, auf Flickr

[seb]

I have so much work, that I don't have time for taking pictures. But sometimes I just want to edit something. So here is another from the same evening:

 

Üetliberg by seflick, auf Flickr

[Guest all8]

Thats a shot with lots of potential! Here is my 5 minute effort ... I really like the interplay between the clouds, mountains and city.

[seb]

Thats a shot with lots of potential! Here is my 5 minute effort ... I really like the interplay between the clouds, mountains and city.

 

Too much color overprocessing for me. But I took some other suggestions like the crop, some more saturation and the better light on the city with me.

Thank you very much for your critics and editing!

 

Here's the result:

 

_DSC2275 by seflick, auf Flickr