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DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> Sunset photo's, please help
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 12/22/2004 07:58:26 PM · #1
The sky in all my sunset photos look grainy.
How can I make the sky look nicer?

I have been trying a number of different camera setting. I don't seem to be getting anywhere, so I'm going to be brave and post a example on the forums.

I have been looking at all the great photo's on DPC and there are so many awesome photo's on this site I feel kind of sick posting my snap shots here.

If nothing else some of you should get a good laugh out of my snap shots. :D

Here is the original photo. I set the camera to landscape mode and made sure it was using ISO 100. That is the lowest ISO I can set the camera up for.


Here is what it looks like after I use the "Enhanced Photo" button in paint shop pro 8.



The sky seems to get more grainy looking near the top of the photo.
I just snapped this photo tonight out the truck window as it was around 5 below today.

What can I do to get better looking sky?

I just got this camera a couple weeks ago and I would love to learn how to use to take photo's like I see on DPC.

Thanks,
jp
 12/22/2004 08:03:24 PM · #2
Im no expert but it looks the "grain" is noise that seems to show up more on a sky background or darker images. Even at 100 ISO you may need to use a little Neat Image of the like to clear some of the camera noise.

edit - of course if you do any noise reduction you will have to sharpen also.

Message edited by author 2004-12-22 20:03:59.
 12/22/2004 08:42:32 PM · #3
It looks like your horizon line is crooked. In the original it's all dark (at least on my current crappy monitor) and the enhanced shot has just brought out the fence some. I dont think the fence really adds that much to the shot so I'd be tempted to keep the original, straighten the horizon, and then crop out most of the black leaving just a 10-20 pixel area of black as an anchor point. You could probably crop a little on the right to put the emphasis back on the smoke stack too. Blurring the sky a little with a gaussian blur layer may help some for the grain. You can use neatimage or similar noise reduction program but be careful you dont overdo it. If you've done a levels adjustment or lightened up the sky any that is one of the ways where noise is introduced. Properly exposing a shot so you dont have to do extreme level adjustements is one possible way to reduce the effects of noise.
 12/22/2004 09:10:09 PM · #4
jbsmithana,
I did not know about Neat Image.
I did a google search and found it.
I'm playing around with it now, thanks!

moodville,

What would have been a better exposure setting?
Should I have used a slower shutter speed?

The little bit I have played with Neat Image I would say your right about properly exposing a shot to start with.

Neat Image does help, but not as much as thought it would with the sky.

I tried some other photo's in Neat Image that I had taken at a Christmas program and it did a better job. :)

Very cool program!

Thanks a million for the input,
jp

12/23/2004 05:33:14 PM · #5
my suggestions, others may have alternate processes....

Brightness/Contrast
use slide bars...typically +20 or there abouts
auto levels
despeckle
unsharpmask 1.0 pixels 100%



Message edited by author 2004-12-23 17:33:51.
 12/23/2004 05:42:54 PM · #6

12/23/2004 06:09:44 PM · #7
My experience is that you need a longer exposure. It is hard to get perfect here with most of the light in the sky, leaving the bottom underexposed. Next time play with the exposure and keep track of what you did. Use exposure around what you tried on the best ones. Hope this makes sense....

Good luck,
Dick
 12/23/2004 06:51:40 PM · #8
Originally posted by pahl:




John,

Hate to say this, but the sunset in this one is just not all that interesting. There is not a lot you can do with it in post-processing. The smokestack with it's flowing smoke is far more interesting and probably should be the main subject of the composition. The sunset would just add extra interest to the image for composing interesting light reflections off it.

Good sunsets are more a matter of luck than anything. You just got to be at the right place at the right time with great clouds, dust in the sky and direct but near horizonatl sunlight shining on them.

If your camera has spot metering then use that to get the exposure right. Also try exposure bracketing since sunsets have a lot of light variation in them.

Solid black sihouettes of interesting foreground objects make a striking contrast to a very colorful sunset when you can catch it.
 12/23/2004 07:25:18 PM · #9
Thanks for all the great replies.
I now have new things to try.

I'm going to try everyone's idea's after it warms up a little.

jp

12/23/2004 07:26:20 PM · #10


Here is my version.
 12/23/2004 08:08:43 PM · #11
My understanding for sunset/sunrise shots is to BLH(Bracket Like Hell). You take, at least, one picture with the exposure set correctly for the sky then one,at least, for the land. Then you merge the two pictures in a photo editor of your choice. I have read that many bracket with one stop up and down for those perfect photos.

I'm going to try and get one this weekend if I can get away.
 12/24/2004 12:22:05 AM · #12
Here's another take on it:

12/24/2004 08:04:22 AM · #13
Pahl...I'm fairly new to the digital photography game and am also using PSP8. Here is how I would have re-worked your original. Click on the image to see all the PSP8 enhancements. I am no PSP8 expert and simply play around until I get something I like (a lot of undo's are necessary).

These changes were basically using the automatic features for a quick interpretation.



Message edited by author 2004-12-24 08:05:53.
 12/25/2004 10:11:29 AM · #14
My preferences on the edits are for dartompkins and bearmusics versions. The blues from bearmusics are strong which I like, but the reds/oranges from dartompkins have the edge for me. Very emotive, imo. strong colors and sense of impending........
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