Air 2 Sunset Over Valdosta

[Rock82]

I was flying Saturday Jan 30 just playing and trying out the Neewer ND8 filter. As the afternoon wore on, I got an inkling from clouds forming that this might turn into something nice. I landed on the deck and went in and got the case with batteries and the other ND filters. I shot 4k vids along with stills. This is a still shot with MA2 in which I was at 117 feet where I got the tops of these pine trees. I moved left and right, framing the sunset in within the treetops and higher with no trees. I liked the treetops framing I got here. This image was shot using ND16 and I used the EV to very shots by 1/3 f stop till I had what I wanted in the S8 viewer I had on then. Seems this was 2 stops under. No post here at all!
I'm a bit new here so will post a vid when time permits. Share your thoughts on the image if you will. At my age I have a pretty thick skin so don't play... be honest. Regards, RockView attachment 122977

 

[iamcostas]

I am curious...
How many hurricanes have you witnesses in your state?
If I am right a lot of them formed there.
Or maybe not... ?

 

[jduga]

Looks great. I would have brought up the shadows a touch just to see more definition in the outline of the trees, but it's just personal preference and I know I overdo it.

 

[Rock82]

Looks great. I would have brought up the shadows a touch just to see more definition in the outline of the trees, but it's just personal preference and I know I overdo it.View attachment 122990

Thanks for the reply. I thought about that, but I wanted the viewers eye to completely be into the beauty of the sunset and thought details in the shadow area would try to get your eyes to find details there. I assure you, visually, buy the time this was shot there were no details there. Thanks again. I'll post a couple of more.

 

[Rock82]

I am curious...
How many hurricanes have you witnesses in your state?
If I am right a lot of them formed there.
Or maybe not... ?

I have no idea

 

[tlswift58]

Not many, if any "hurricanes" start in Valdosta, GA. Most all hurricanes originate far out in the Atlantic Ocean - way east of any of the Caribbean Islands or even Bermuda - then track west to the Caribbean. A few do start in the Gulf of Mexico - more so down towards the ABC Islands or top of South America. Those are the ones that tend to wander any way and every way - giving weather people fits. Any hurricanes that hit the panhandle of Florida - up towards Panama City Beach over towards Destin / Pensacola way are typically on track to run up thru South Georgia and around the "big city" of Valdosta and the famous Okefenokee Swamp.

As the photo. I too have found having treetops in my sunset pics helps to provide some orientation for the eye. A nice bit of contrast. Since I live in Western NC, we get a few decent sunsets on occasion and also have mountains in the background to provide more "eye" appeal. Shooting with any ND is tricky on sunsets as you can have it too dark and have to lighten to give it that pop.

Seems on my Air2, video's go way dark compared to pics, so lightening using EV or taking the ND filter off provides better vid's and less post production work. I do lighten the shadows a bit, like trees and such - but it truly is in the "eye of the beholder" and what YOU want - not so much what others think / want. Every person "eye" is different - so stay with your and KEEP ON FLYING. I'm 62 and love flying my drones when I can. Been a bit too cold and real windy as of late to do much of that here. Today looks good and we plan on going up towards Maggie Valley and lower part of Smokies to check out the snow situation there. In Maggie Valley is an old amusement place called "Ghost Town in the Sky." Been closed for years, but a cool place up on the mountain side to fly and take pics of the old place. Also, Soco Falls, but I'm not that good to try and drone Soco Falls - too many trees and rhododendron.

 

[Rock82]

Ghost Not many, if any "hurricanes" start in Valdosta, GA. Most all hurricanes originate far out in the Atlantic Ocean - way east of any of the Caribbean Islands or even Bermuda - then track west to the Caribbean. A few do start in the Gulf of Mexico - more so down towards the ABC Islands or top of South America. Those are the ones that tend to wander any way and every way - giving weather people fits. Any hurricanes that hit the panhandle of Florida - up towards Panama City Beach over towards Destin / Pensacola way are typically on track to run up thru South Georgia and around the "big city" of Valdosta and the famous Okefenokee Swamp.

As the photo. I too have found having treetops in my sunset pics helps to provide some orientation for the eye. A nice bit of contrast. Since I live in Western NC, we get a few decent sunsets on occasion and also have mountains in the background to provide more "eye" appeal. Shooting with any ND is tricky on sunsets as you can have it too dark and have to lighten to give it that pop.

Seems on my Air2, video's go way dark compared to pics, so lightening using EV or taking the ND filter off provides better vid's and less post production work. I do lighten the shadows a bit, like trees and such - but it truly is in the "eye of the beholder" and what YOU want - not so much what others think / want. Every person "eye" is different - so stay with your and KEEP ON FLYING. I'm 62 and love flying my drones when I can. Been a bit too cold and real windy as of late to do much of that here. Today looks good and we plan on going up towards Maggie Valley and lower part of Smokies to check out the snow situation there. In Maggie Valley is an old amusement place called "Ghost Town in the Sky." Been closed for years, but a cool place up on the mountain side to fly and take pics of the old place. Also, Soco Falls, but I'm not that good to try and drone Soco Falls - too many trees and rhododendron.

Was that an approval of my sunset PIC? ?

 

[wsteele]

I liked your picture just the way it is. I agree with you that just the silhouettes of the trees frame the sunset. But in this business it's opinion vs opinion. With your permission I'll download your picture into my sky collection. Never know when I can use it to give drama to one of my pictures.

 

[Rock82]

I liked your picture just the way it is. I agree with you that just the silhouettes of the trees frame the sunset. But in this business it's opinion vs opinion. With your permission I'll download your picture into my sky collection. Never know when I can use it to give drama to one of my pictures.

Thanks for that. Yeah go ahead, I'm too old to care about copyrite any more. But there was a time some 14 years ago that everything I shot had copyrite information imbedded in the image. I was a commercial photographer and brick n mortar studio owner for 45 years. Also a video production studio too. Did commercials for 3 stations near here. But if you can use it, be my guest.
I also have been a pilot since '56 and flew in USAF and have flown R/C planes and things since before '56. So the drones were a piece of cake. Hey thanks and be safe.

 

[wsteele]

Off topic but I had a 25 year career in the Air Force. Spent most of it in what was then Systems Command. I managed the development of radars and communications systems. Also, was the action officer to buy the first 28 GPS satellites in the mid 80's. Drove my wife nuts with my laptop tied to a GPS receiver the size of a large early cell phone when we traveled in our cars. Now it's all on a small chip.

 

[Rock82]

Off topic but I had a 25 year career in the Air Force. Spent most of it in what was then Systems Command. I managed the development of radars and communications systems. Also, was the action officer to buy the first 28 GPS satellites in the mid 80's. Drove my wife nuts with my laptop tied to a GPS receiver the size of a large early cell phone when we traveled in our cars. Now it's all on a small chip.

I certainly agree with that. I co-managed an IBM 360 Mod-40 in 1961 and all the essentials for that filled a big rook with about 20 tons of A/C.

 

[Laborous]

I was flying Saturday Jan 30 just playing and trying out the Neewer ND8 filter. As the afternoon wore on, I got an inkling from clouds forming that this might turn into something nice. I landed on the deck and went in and got the case with batteries and the other ND filters. I shot 4k vids along with stills. This is a still shot with MA2 in which I was at 117 feet where I got the tops of these pine trees. I moved left and right, framing the sunset in within the treetops and higher with no trees. I liked the treetops framing I got here. This image was shot using ND16 and I used the EV to very shots by 1/3 f stop till I had what I wanted in the S8 viewer I had on then. Seems this was 2 stops under. No post here at all!
I'm a bit new here so will post a vid when time permits. Share your thoughts on the image if you will. At my age I have a pretty thick skin so don't play... be honest. Regards, RockView attachment 122977View attachment 122978

Nice shot!

 

[Dbez1]

I like it. Keep up the good work.