Gorgeous Sunset in Harbor Country, Michigan

[TheFoxSaysRingADingDing]

So we've had some crazy weather here in southwestern Michigan. First it was an ice storm, then rain, then freezing rain again, then a snowstorm in the morning, and then clear skies in the afternoon. Since I hadn't been able to fly for a few days, I thought I'd get try to get some shots of the sunset and got this beauty. I think all the ice and snow covered treetops was refracting all that intense sunlight just right. I have never seen anything like it (this whole drone think amazes me ever day!). If anyone knows any better ways to edit I'm all ears, just like my profile picture.
Taken with a mavic air at about 4:30PM at about 200 feet. Did a little editing in paint.net. I also got some video I'll try to edit and post.
Any constructive criticism will be well recieved! Thank you!

 

[ShermanFlyer]

It's a great shot, the sun being head on does not help. Haze removal will improve the sky and help with clarity.
I'm pretty new to this as well.
The best advice I've been given is keep taking shots, the more the better.
Remember, it's what pleases your eye, not others.

 

[Cymruflyer]

crop out most of the sky, it is not helping the overall image and then it will not be distracting to the viewer.

 

[TheFoxSaysRingADingDing]

Thanks guys! I didn't even know I could remove haze from a picture. You're right, the sky does take away from what I really want focused on in the picture. I'll crop it out and see how it looks.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I took the liberty of doing a little altering of your great image, just to give you an idea of what you could do. This is not a final finished image but rather, just an idea for you to do what you want with your own image. I took out the green lens flare and reduced the highlights at the horizon as well and then did a crop. Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. I think you chose a great perspective to take that shot and although shooting into the sun is not usually the best thing to do, there are times when it simply has to be done. Nice work.

 

[TheFoxSaysRingADingDing]

Hey I never take offense to someone wiser helping to educate my amateur photographing skills! I greatly appreciate it. Looking at it, do you think the image may be too dark since the sky is taken out? Or would it make it look worse with more brightness and wash out the brightness of the reflection on the trees?

 

[Jim D]

I would have gone lower and shot the great trees and shadows, leaving the sun out of the pictures.

 

[Cymruflyer]

Hey I never take offense to someone wiser helping to educate my amateur photographing skills! I greatly appreciate it. Looking at it, do you think the image may be too dark since the sky is taken out? Or would it make it look worse with more brightness and wash out the brightness of the reflection on the trees?

You have a high contrast image and therefore, you can't brighten up the shadows without the image looking unnatural. I did brighten up the shadows but then the image lot its dramatic effect. I like it the way you have it. It is a dramatic scene and deserves the dramatic look. That is also how our eye would see it, with that much range of contrast, looking into the sun.

It is however, in the eye of the beholder, and also depends on which image someone see first, as to which they prefer. I have again taken the liberty to lighten the shadows and bring up the over all brightness, just so you can see, though.

Ehhh, the more I look at this, maybe it does deserve to be a bit brighter than the original. Each to his own, I suppose.

 

[Cymruflyer]

As I stated though, there are dark scenes that deserve to remain as dramatic as the lighting was, to convey a feeling or lend impact to the subject matter.

Here is an illustration of that fact. We were walking back to the car after a walk in the mountains and I saw my little girl and boy ahead of us were about to walk into a bright area in front of them. I positioned myself and waited for the moment when their silhouettes were going to be perfectly in front of the bright area behind their heads in the shot, and took the photo then, capturing them mid-stride.

Yes I could have change the exposure to brighten them up but that would not have given the dramatic effect I wanted. With that light I wanted to isolate them from the background brightness, showing the love of the two of them, holding hands. The leading lines take you down into the centre of the image of their upper bodies and revolve around them holding hands, which was the whole point of the image. If I lightened their legs it would have detracted more from their tow little hands, holding each other. Those two little arms joined at the hands was the whole point of my photo.

If it were lightened up, the whole impact would have been lost, so sometimes it just needs to stay that dark, when other times, an image can work both ways, depending on the subject matter and composition. Sorry if I have taken over this thread a little, I shall step back now.

 

[TheFoxSaysRingADingDing]

Just for fun, I made one with the color hues blown out. For some reason how the trees are green and look like there was a freak snowstorm in May (which actually does happen here in Michigan). It does look more on the fake side but I don't care, it looks a lot more magical. And isn't that what art is all about? Or maybe I've been spending too much time watching my daughters fairy tale movies.....either way, I like all the photos!

 

[TheFoxSaysRingADingDing]

As I stated though, there are dark scenes that deserve to remain as dramatic as the lighting was, to convey a feeling or lend impact to the subject matter.

Here is an illustration of that fact. We were walking back to the car after a walk in the mountains and I saw my little girl and boy ahead of us were about to walk into a bright area in front of them. I positioned myself and waited for the moment when their silhouettes were going to be perfectly in front of the bright area behind their heads in the shot, and took the photo then, capturing them mid-stride.

Yes I could have change the exposure to brighten them up but that would not have given the dramatic effect I wanted. With that light I wanted to isolate them from the background brightness, showing the love of the two of them, holding hands. The leading lines take you down into the centre of the image of their upper bodies and revolve around them holding hands, which was the whole point of the image. If I lightened their legs it would have detracted more from their tow little hands, holding each other. Those two little arms joined at the hands was the whole point of my photo.

If it were lightened up, the whole impact would have been lost, so sometimes it just needs to stay that dark, when other times, an image can work both ways, depending on the subject matter and composition. Sorry if I have taken over this thread a little, I shall step back now.

View attachment 63058

Yep, you make a good point there sir! It'll definitely help me when I start applying it to my drone photography.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I also enjoy watching my daughter's fairy tale movies and yes there are times when you want that fantasy to play through and other times when you want it more to reality, in its looks. I enjoy playing around with all the different possibilities available to an image.

 

[TheFoxSaysRingADingDing]

I would have gone lower and shot the great trees and shadows, leaving the sun out of the pictures.

That would've been good, I did take a lower shot but I tried taking it with a panorama setting, and it just looked goofy. And I didn't put in the "save unstiched photos", otherwise I probably wouldve been able to salvage it. Live and learn!