# Contrasty Trees in the Sunset C&C



## Beast95 (Jan 12, 2012)

ISO800, f/4.5, 1/500th, 133mm

I was in my backyard and I noticed that there was a really cool sunset, so I grabbed my camera and went running. I was actually trying to take pictures emphasizing the clouds, but then I noticed that the sun was right in that exact spot and I figured I could get a really contrasty picture out of it. It worked!

This is my first picture on here so I would definitely like to know what you think!!! If you like/dislike something, feel free to tell me!!! I wont take it personally or get offended! There's only one way to improve 

Thanks!

*EDIT: Heres 2 more that I took that day*





This one was supposed to be kind of towards the scary side.. I was going for this kind of shot that night because I wasnt in the nicest mood, ill leave it at that.
This is the photo that represents the emotion that I wanted people to see in my photos.





I kinda like how the sun looks, but I was trying to emphasize the clouds in this one. I thought they looked really breathtaking and dark, almost frightening.
This photo was taken out of pure appreciation for nature and her beauty.


----------



## Frequency (Jan 13, 2012)

The picture does not come out .....i will come later 

regards


----------



## 480sparky (Jan 13, 2012)

Beast95 said:


> (Note: Right click and press "View image" to see it full size)



Right click _what_?


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 13, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Beast95 said:
> 
> 
> > (Note: Right click and press "View image" to see it full size)
> ...



The image itself.. i have a link to it, ill edit the first post to include it, 1 sec


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 13, 2012)

Frequency said:


> The picture does not come out .....i will come later
> 
> regards



Hm, I'm sorry about that!


----------



## HowlingWolf (Jan 13, 2012)

The link just takes me to windows live.


----------



## Majeed Badizadegan (Jan 13, 2012)

not showing


----------



## CMfromIL (Jan 13, 2012)

At this point I've built up in my mind such a spectacular contrasty-trees in the sunset picture that I hope the OP doesn't get his links corrected.  There is no way it will meet my now overblown expectations.


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 13, 2012)

Sorry about that, i guess Windows SkyDrive doesnt let me share pictures... it looked fine to me. Does it work now?


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 13, 2012)

Its there. Why did you shoot ISO 800 are 1/500 , when ISO 200 at 1/125 would have given you the same exposure? What do you like about this shot? What is the subject?


----------



## Joel_W (Jan 13, 2012)

The sky is a solid light orange. The trees are in shade. One doesn't really see a sunset. At least not what you saw. Is this the image you wanted to capture?


----------



## BadPictures (Jan 13, 2012)

The colors are nice and warm.   But it doesn't really say anything to me.  It's tough to take a photo like that with the sun coming through things and have it look like anything but blown out light behind whatever it is you're shooting through.  What might have worked nicely is if you'd gone to something like 100 ISO, stopped all the way down to f/22 or even 32 and if you could have caught the sun right you would have ended up with a nice sun star, which may have worked as a subject/focal point and you probably wouldn't have lost so much detail in the trees to the blown out sunlight.   But I'm only theorizing on how that might have looked.


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 13, 2012)

BadPictures said:


> The colors are nice and warm.   But it doesn't really say anything to me.  It's tough to take a photo like that with the sun coming through things and have it look like anything but blown out light behind whatever it is you're shooting through.  What might have worked nicely is if you'd gone to something like 100 ISO, stopped all the way down to f/22 or even 32 and if you could have caught the sun right you would have ended up with a nice sun star, which may have worked as a subject/focal point and you probably wouldn't have lost so much detail in the trees to the blown out sunlight.   But I'm only theorizing on how that might have looked.



Yea.. if the OP had a TRIPOD.. because that would have kicked the shutter speed WAY into non-handheld range... and most likely would have made the shot even contrastier.. and lost ALL detail in the trees. Sun Star?.. whatever.......


----------



## BadPictures (Jan 13, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> Yea.. if the OP had a TRIPOD.. because that would have kicked the shutter speed WAY into non-handheld range... and most likely would have made the shot even contrastier.. and lost ALL detail in the trees. Sun Star?.. whatever.......



So you are unfamiliar with the concept of experimentation then, eh?


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 14, 2012)

cgipson1 said:
			
		

> Its there. Why did you shoot ISO 800 are 1/500 , when ISO 200 at 1/125 would have given you the same exposure? What do you like about this shot? What is the subject?



I'm trying to remember my reasoning. I think I kinda liked the noise for this one in particular. This was one of those shots that didn't turn out as I expected, but I still liked how it was so washed out where the sun should be, I kept it. Idk about everyone else but I personally like shots that are subtly different, and I've never seen this kind of shot before


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 14, 2012)

BadPictures said:
			
		

> The colors are nice and warm.   But it doesn't really say anything to me.  It's tough to take a photo like that with the sun coming through things and have it look like anything but blown out light behind whatever it is you're shooting through.  What might have worked nicely is if you'd gone to something like 100 ISO, stopped all the way down to f/22 or even 32 and if you could have caught the sun right you would have ended up with a nice sun star, which may have worked as a subject/focal point and you probably wouldn't have lost so much detail in the trees to the blown out sunlight.   But I'm only theorizing on how that might have looked.



With what you said below this, I was trying something new. I did crank up the heat decently high when I took this, and the washed out sun added to the warmness, because I was originally going for a nice and soothing warm image.

Also, I do have a tripod but I didn't feel the need


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 14, 2012)

BadPictures said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > Yea.. if the OP had a TRIPOD.. because that would have kicked the shutter speed WAY into non-handheld range... and most likely would have made the shot even contrastier.. and lost ALL detail in the trees. Sun Star?.. whatever.......
> ...



No... I am very familiar with experimentation... it is just that when I know from experience something wont work.. I know it is a waste of time to do it! Sun Stars (or more correctly, Aperture Stars).. have their place.. typically when shooting something with a lot of highlights.. choppy water for instance, or automotive photography..... but on a shot like this, it would be a waste of time to even try! 

You obviously need to learn the basics, yourself.. before you start offering useless advice to people!


----------



## Frequency (Jan 14, 2012)

O, sorry.... it looks a messy lot ...there are many elements which are lovely...but together they form a busy busy confused state 

Regards


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 14, 2012)

Frequency said:
			
		

> O, sorry.... it looks a messy lot ...there are many elements which are lovely...but together they form a busy busy confused state
> 
> Regards



Thanks for the comment! What do you think is lovely/caught your eye & what could I do to improve the messy-ness? Thanks!


----------



## Bitter Jeweler (Jan 14, 2012)

Beast95 said:


> Idk about everyone else but I personally like shots that are subtly different, and I've never seen this kind of shot before



Stick around.


----------



## Frequency (Jan 14, 2012)

Frequency said:


> O, sorry.... it looks a messy lot ...there are many elements which are lovely...but together they form a busy busy confused state
> 
> Regards



Not seriously....  

I like that white tree very much... i like the golden hue.... If that white tree could stand out in the golden hue, pushing everything else into a diffused background that would have been a beauty....these are all personal feelings...every body has his/her own concepts, aesthetics etc... so nobody's word is final....after all art is how we express ourselves.... manifest ourselves....

Regards


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 14, 2012)

Beast95 said:


> I personally like shots that are subtly different, and I've never seen this kind of shot before



Really? So you don't hang out on Facebook?


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 14, 2012)

Hey guys, I added 2 more photos to my first post that I took that night, I dont know what you think but I like them... they all have a different feel


----------



## Bitter Jeweler (Jan 14, 2012)

Beast95 said:


> ...they all have a different feel



The don't, really.

Every person with a new camera takes images just like yours.


Photographic Composition - Introduction


Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials



Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition.


Photography Composition Articles Library


10 Top Photography Composition Rules | Photography Mad


Happy reading!


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 14, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> Beast95 said:
> 
> 
> > ...they all have a different feel
> ...



Thank you for the comment, i just havent been able to get out to anywhere besides my backyard in a LONG time, so this is the best i can do. Nothing too special around but i'm still tryin


----------



## Bitter Jeweler (Jan 14, 2012)

Learn to *see* what's around you, and apply the things in the links I gave you.

Practicing taking pictures also includes practicing using composition.


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 14, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> Learn to *see* what's around you, and apply the things in the links I gave you.
> 
> Practicing taking pictures also includes practicing using composition.



Okay, thanks man. I really do appreciate the comments!
I am not really new to photography though, just digital. I have been into film photography & darkroom developing for a couple of years. A couple months ago I finally got myself a digital camera, but it wasn't too different. However, I'm still adjusting to the whole digital aspect because I have never taken digital pictures except with my P&S... Also, when I did film photography & darkroom development, I just did black and white. So the colors are a pretty new aspect to me as well. Which is why i found the pictures that I took so fascinating; full of color. Most of you are probably used to the colors because, well, you weren't strictly black and white for almost your entire photography career. You know what I mean?


----------



## Joel_W (Jan 15, 2012)

You'll get use to color very quickly.  I shot B&W for years back in the 60's before moving to color full time. 

As Bitter Jeweler said, practice composition, it's the essence of of photography. Most digital processes are cause and effect, and can be learned through experience, but composition is the art of photography. It's what makes a snap shot a photograph.


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 15, 2012)

Joel_W said:
			
		

> You'll get use to color very quickly.  I shot B&W for years back in the 60's before moving to color full time.
> 
> As Bitter Jeweler said, practice composition, it's the essence of of photography. Most digital processes are cause and effect, and can be learned through experience, but composition is the art of photography. It's what makes a snap shot a photograph.



I've never really taken formal classes except for a high school photo class 2 years ago, which didn't teach me anything anyways haha. All it did was give me access to a really nice darkroom, which was still nice 
But yeah, ill read those links Bitter Jeweler gave me, and see what I can get out of reading em!

Thanks for the comment!


----------



## Frequency (Jan 16, 2012)

i really liked your second input.....the third one also fine, but may be merited by some brightening?
Regards


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 16, 2012)

Frequency said:


> i really liked your second input.....the third one also fine, but may be merited by some brightening?
> Regards



Thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me on here... haha


----------



## BadPictures (Jan 17, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> BadPictures said:
> 
> 
> > cgipson1 said:
> ...



It's people like you that made me stop visiting here when I first came to this site a few months ago.  I read a few threads and I saw a bunch of self important douche-bags that think they know everything and that no one should ever bother with doing anything since they already know how it will turn out.  So many people here offer stupid advice about how they would use some technique or another or exactly how a photo should have been shot, and forget that photography is art. If everyone does it the same way, it would make for very dull art.  Beyond that though, and specific to your comment, I gave him a place to start and something to think about without shooting his idea down as being totally worthless.  Was it a perfect idea?  No, maybe not.  I'm not a professional, and as I said, only offered my theory on something to try and perhaps it could have gotten him thinking about how that photograph could have been improved.  Maybe instead of posting to bolster your own self importance, you could try offering support and guidance?  

Sorry to bring negativity to your post, Beast.  I've seen so many comments like that here though, and I needed to get it off my chest.  I will likely resume not visiting here now.  lol   Don't let the bastards get ya down, man.  And remember if YOU like the picture, it's a good picture.  Art is entirely subjective.  The best you can hope for from a site like this is to help you learn the technical aspect of catching what you want.  No one can teach you what you really like.


----------



## BadPictures (Jan 17, 2012)

Also, I kinda dig what you were going for in that shot with the sunset and the silhouetted tree.   Keep firing away.   You'll be making masterpieces in no time.


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 17, 2012)

BadPictures said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > BadPictures said:
> ...



They have to learn to walk, before they can run. I will tell you what I say to every other "self-important douche bag".. put up or shut up.. show us why we should listen to your opinion. You are probably just a NOOB with a camera, that has not even learned the basics, and are excusing your poor photography by calling it "Art"! Whatever!   Those that stay and listen, learn... those with ego's like yours.. leave.. and seldom get better!


----------



## BadPictures (Jan 17, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> They have to learn to walk, before they can run. I will tell you what I say to every other "self-important douche bag".. put up or shut up.. show us why we should listen to your opinion. You are probably just a NOOB with a camera, that has not even learned the basics, and are excusing your poor photography by calling it "Art"! Whatever!   Those that stay and listen, learn... those with ego's like yours.. leave.. and seldom get better!



 I apologize for coming off as combative.  I was trying to make two points, really.  The first is about not being so negative about comments, but I did so by being negative myself and I regret that, because it does nothing useful to join in the flame wars.  I would humbly suggest though, that there might be more effective ways of providing feedback than negatively and dismissively.  You are correct about the technical aspects of the shot that I suggested; perhaps you could just have explained under what circumstance that might have worked, or what the limitations of that shot might have been, minus the negativity?  I don't believe that I said anything offensive to warrant your negativity.  The other thing that I would like to point out regarding this sort of thing is that even if someone completely misleads the OP, as I did (sorry about that Beast), he is not a moron.  So he goes out, sets his camera the way I said and he ends up with a black frame or a very blurry image.  My guess is that he will consider what happened and perhaps up the ISO or use a tripod and eventually end up with an image that works.  Maybe it's still not a glorious image.  Maybe it is.  Either way, he learned a little more about exposure.

But the second point I wanted to make was the more important one, and it is for Beast, more than anyone else; which is that art is subjective.  The fact remains that if you like the photographs you take, that's really the important thing.  I think it is great that you're excited about your photography.  I am sure if you keep working at it, you'll take pictures that you likes better than these, and that other people will be more impressed by as well.  So I was not making this point to defend this current photograph (or my own).  I was just suggesting that everyone has their own style and it's easy, once you do get a handle on technique to forget the art and go with what you know and what you've seen (or what other people suggest because it worked for them).  If you want to be unique though, you have to keep trying to expand your horizons outside of those cliche shots that obey all the "rules" and are technically brilliant, but ultimately are antiseptic because most people who look at it feel like they've seen that before.  That's not a dig on anyone or anything... it's just that as I have spent some time looking at photography forums like this one, I can see how one could get the impression that there is a "right" way to compose and photograph and get in a rut.  As cgipson said, it's important to walk before you run, so you should know and understand the guidelines, but don't forget to break them when its appropriate.  No one will die though, even if the picture is horrible.   Keep experimenting and reading and learning.


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 17, 2012)

BadPictures said:


> But the second point I wanted to make was the more important one, and it is for Beast, more than anyone else; which is that art is subjective.  The fact remains that if you like the photographs you take, that's really the important thing.  I think it is great that you're excited about your photography.  I am sure if you keep working at it, you'll take pictures that you likes better than these, and that other people will be more impressed by as well.  So I was not making this point to defend this current photograph (or my own).  I was just suggesting that everyone has their own style and it's easy, once you do get a handle on technique to forget the art and go with what you know and what you've seen (or what other people suggest because it worked for them).  If you want to be unique though, you have to keep trying to expand your horizons outside of those cliche shots that obey all the "rules" and are technically brilliant, but ultimately are antiseptic because most people who look at it feel like they've seen that before.  That's not a dig on anyone or anything... it's just that as I have spent some time looking at photography forums like this one, I can see how one could get the impression that there is a "right" way to compose and photograph and get in a rut.  As cgipson said, it's important to walk before you run, so you should know and understand the guidelines, but don't forget to break them when its appropriate.  No one will die though, even if the picture is horrible.   Keep experimenting and reading and learning.



I really appreciate the nice comments, and thanks for trying to be so honest. I didnt think anything mean of what you said, you were basically trying to compliment me but still tell me there is still a lot of room to improve. and I am fine with that! Thanks for being supportive! I thought it was pretty nice of you. And you do have some good points, it's true that with art it is okay to break rules (as long as it's on purpose, haha).

&& Thanks about the sunset and silhouetted tree


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 17, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> They have to learn to walk, before they can run. I will tell you what I say to every other "self-important douche bag".. put up or shut up.. show us why we should listen to your opinion. You are probably just a NOOB with a camera, that has not even learned the basics, and are excusing your poor photography by calling it "Art"! Whatever!   Those that stay and listen, learn... those with ego's like yours.. leave.. and seldom get better!



I really do respect your opinions and honesty, but all that BadPictures was trying to do was try to work a compliment in there.

I do hope you can continue to make honest comments/feedback on my photos in the future, and I hope to learn a lot 
I know you do have a pretty good reputation around here, so I trust that you know what you're talking about!


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 17, 2012)

BadPictures said:


> I don't believe that I said anything offensive to warrant your negativity.



Ok... so this is your version of sweetness and light? lol



BadPictures said:


> I read a few threads and I saw a bunch of  self important douche-bags that think they know everything


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 17, 2012)

Beast95 said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > They have to learn to walk, before they can run. I will tell you what I say to every other "self-important douche bag".. put up or shut up.. show us why we should listen to your opinion. You are probably just a NOOB with a camera, that has not even learned the basics, and are excusing your poor photography by calling it "Art"! Whatever!   Those that stay and listen, learn... those with ego's like yours.. leave.. and seldom get better!
> ...



Not a problem.. I have just been a little cranky lately!  I apologize for for the thread "Drama Jack"!


----------



## Beast95 (Jan 17, 2012)

haha its good man!


----------



## BadPictures (Jan 17, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> BadPictures said:
> 
> 
> > I don't believe that I said anything offensive to warrant your negativity.
> ...



That'd be more or less why I was apologizing....


----------



## cgipson1 (Jan 17, 2012)

BadPictures said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > BadPictures said:
> ...



It's cool!


----------

