# Just after sunset close to home



## thereyougo! (Feb 29, 2012)

Been waiting for more settled weather as has been pretty damp and foggy here in South Wales.  Walking to and from one of the local supermarkets I fancied a shot at twilight over the busy M4.   The conditions were pretty good so decided to give the location a try.  I suspect that some of the drivers thought I was a speed trap as a stream of traffic was moving more slowly.


Pentax 645D FA 33-55 at f/11 and 33mm 15 secs ISO 100 processed in Color efex pro 4





Mynydd-Dinas-and-the-M4 by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Pentax 645D FA 120 at f/11 20 secs ISO 100





M4-towards-Port-Talbot by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## Frequency (Mar 1, 2012)

Liked them both very much


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## Joel_W (Mar 1, 2012)

For me, I much prefer picture #1, especially in the landscape format. Colors are brilliant, more so then in picture #2. The sky in pic #1 has beautiful tones of a setting sun, while picture #2 is just dark blue. Pole lights in pic #1 aren't blown out and just blend into the composition as a whole.


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## thereyougo! (Mar 1, 2012)

Thanks both.  I climbed the mountain that you can see in no1 this evening.  The weather wasn't as clear today as it was yesterday although it stayed dry it was misty in the middle distance for much of the day. They are all shot from the same spot but with different focal lengths.

Pentax 645D FA 33-55 at 45mm f/16 20 secs





Port-Talbot-at-Twilight by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Pentax with FA 75 at f/11 25 secs





M4-makes-its-way-around-the-twilight-mountains by singingsnapper, on Flickr


FA 120 f/16 20 secs





Twilight-M4 by singingsnapper, on Flickr


and some crops from the previous one:





M4 light show1 by singingsnapper, on Flickr





M4 light show4 by singingsnapper, on Flickr





M4 light show3 by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## pgriz (Mar 1, 2012)

I like your "show4" crop the most.  Beautiful detail and light trails.


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## thereyougo! (Mar 1, 2012)

pgriz said:


> I like your "show4" crop the most.  Beautiful detail and light trails.


That's my favourite too.  I had the crops in mind when I took the photo.  At the moment it's the perfect time of year or night trails as when the clocks go forward, there won't be as much traffic on the roads.  It's actually quite a small section of the overall shot and demonstrates just how sharp the Pentax 645 FA 120 Macro lens is.  It's about 25% of the whole frame.


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Mar 1, 2012)

i like that crop as well, Good work. And in the OP #1 is better.


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## Frequency (Mar 2, 2012)

These are all great ...i would recommend watching in the black-grounds(flickr); thank you for trekking uphills


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## LINYBIMMER (Mar 2, 2012)

I am really intrigued by these shots. I am now motivated to try something similar. Thanks!


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## thereyougo! (Mar 4, 2012)

Some pano crops of the first shot of the second set:




Port Talbot twilight crop1 by singingsnapper, on Flickr




Port Talbot twilight crop3-2 by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## Joel_W (Mar 4, 2012)

I much prefer the 1st pano crop. The winding roadway enters from the lower right and makes it way through the picture but exits out the top rather then the left, nice touch.  Also the color saturation and contrast are much better.


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## pgriz (Mar 4, 2012)

Although the second pano looks sharper (at least at the image sizes shown), I prefer the first pano partly because you've kept the graceful curve of the roadway in the foreground, and partly because it look more "real".  The second looks a little to bright given how the rest of the scene (clouds, mist) look.


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## kyleweeks522 (Mar 5, 2012)

These shots are great. Unlike others, I prefer the less cropped ones. They have a great sense of depth and I was very intrigued in them. Good work.


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## thereyougo! (Mar 5, 2012)

I climbed Mynydd Dinas again, this time climbing higher on the Western side to see if I could get a good sunset photograph, and stayed later until it was darker back at the other side of the mountain.  


Here's the sunset:


Pentax 645D FA 120 f/16





The-Sun-sets-over-the-Gower-Peninsula by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Port Talbot Steelworks after dark:


Pentax 645D FA 120 f/11





Port-Talbot-Steelworks-at-Night by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## Joel_W (Mar 6, 2012)

Super sunset. The offset sun really helps to make the composition. I'm so use to beach sunsets that I had to take a real close look to realize that all those  were houses, not bumps, lumps, and clumps. As for the Steelworks, it's very busy for sure, but it works for me. I just keep on staring at it. Anywhere I look there are interesting things to see.


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## Desi (Mar 6, 2012)

Nice shots. I like the crops of the freeway.  Also, I'm intrigued by the industrial area shrouded in steam


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## Frequency (Mar 6, 2012)

thereyougo! said:


> I climbed Mynydd Dinas again, this time climbing higher on the Western side to see if I could get a good sunset photograph, and stayed later until it was darker back at the other side of the mountain.
> 
> 
> Here's the sunset:
> ...



*What a beauty!!!* *What a beauty!!!

Regards *&#8203;


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## thereyougo! (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks Guys, the images were definitely worth the climb!
And a twilight shot from the same position as the sunset in the previous post:


Pentax 645D FA 45 - 85 f/4.5 at 45mm and f/11 3 exposures blended in photomatix and adjusted in CS5





Swansea Bay at Twilight by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## Bios. (Mar 7, 2012)

I like the second batch the best, I have driven along the m4 a few times and it's cool how its raised above the houses. The curves of the road are also really nice and the smoke/steam from the steel works adds a lot.

I like m4 light show4 and the first pano crop the best.

Also it wold be helpful if you numbered your photos as they appear in the thread as it makes them easier to comment on.


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## photographyxfactor (Mar 24, 2012)

You have the technique but what you need to improve is the 'where & when' you apply it. I did this kind of thing a few years ago when I got into this field, my excitement with playing around with a new technique and toy. But now looking back at those photos, I am surprised at how beginner'ish I was back then.


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## thereyougo! (Mar 24, 2012)

photographyxfactor said:


> You have the technique but what you need to improve is the 'where & when' you apply it. I did this kind of thing a few years ago when I got into this field, my excitement with playing around with a new technique and toy. But now looking back at those photos, I am surprised at how beginner'ish I was back then.



Perhaps you would like to share your images?  I would never dream of passing comment on someone else's work before I'd posted some of mine.  It's difficult to get a view of whether someone has any credibility unless they are prepared to put themselves on the parapet themselves.


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## thereyougo! (Aug 10, 2012)

Back up the mountain behind my house in South Wales yesterday evening just before during and after sunset.


Pentax 645D FA 35 f/3.5 at f/8 1/60 ISO 200





overlooking-Port-Talbot-just-before-sunset by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Caught the sun setting close to this spot


Several images merged in photomatix


f/16 ISO 100





summer-sunset-over-Swansea-Bay by singingsnapper, on Flickr


A little further down after the sun has gone down


again several shots merged (fused) in photomatix


f/11 ISO 100 (1 shot at 200)





The-sun-has-set-on-swansea-bay by singingsnapper, on Flickr


looking over the town of Port Talbot after sunset


f/8 25 secs ISO 100





overlooking-port-talbot-at-twilight by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## yv0nne (Aug 10, 2012)

These are all pretty great! It is something I keep meaning to try then just never get around to actually doing it.
I think I'll make it a to-do after the weekend


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## thereyougo! (Sep 20, 2012)

Went out this evening down by the beach.  A dull day today with little sun.  Right at the end before going into a cafe for something to eat on the sea front, I set the camera up on my very lightweight Benro tripod which held up well against the wind, unweighted.  I wasn't sure what result I would get.  I have the official Nikon cable release with timer which comes in handy.  The result is very interesting indeed.  Despite the fact that it was almost dark, the camera focussed straight away.  The foreground is partially lit by streetlight and the colour in the sky is a mixture of last light and streetlight and I find the colours in this interesting.


It has been processed in Nik's's Viveza, and saturation and contrast have been tweaked.  I also used a software ND grad at 50% strength.  


Nikon D800 14 - 24 at 20mm f/11 8 mins ISO 50




Aberavon-Abstract by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## thereyougo! (Jan 4, 2013)

Back from a trip down to the local beach with my 645D and the DA 25 f/4.  My word it's a heavy lens, but it is definitely quality.


Pentax 645D DA 25 f/4 at f/22 5 secs, ISO 100





By-the-beach by singingsnapper, on Flickr


converted to B&W in Silver efex pro2





On-the-beach-in-BW by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Looking towards the docks and steelworks:


f/14 30 secs ISO 200





Looking-towards-the-socks-at-twilight by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Swansea Bay as night falls:





Evening-falls-on-Swansea-Bay by singingsnapper, on Flickr


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## Mully (Jan 4, 2013)

I like the straight images best  ....do you have one of the refinery that has not been baked?  Most are very good.


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## Vautrin (Jan 4, 2013)

Interesting shots


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