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Photographing sunsets and the Milky Way in in magical Tuscany

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Arlington, Texas, was long in the lead when it came to being this summer’s family vacation destination. However, sometime in May we arrived at that we wanted to revisit Italy. Last time we didn’t make it to Tuscany, so there was no doubt that this would be the area to stay and explore. Some friends had recommended agroturismos, that is, wine farms. Initially I had my strong doubts about staying at a farm of some sort, but when it struck me that it was milky way season in Italy in July my misgivings somehow vanished.

After all it was a family vacation where photography would be second priority, so I wasn’t thoroughly convinced that I would get my shots. And besides I had no idea whether light pollution would put an effective stop to my milky way hopes.

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A complete guide to sunset beach silhouette photography

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Mysterious.

Curious.

Magical.

These are some of the ways to describe a silhouette. Silhouettes are different from other forms of photography in that they give you very little in terms of detail. Instead, the silhouette taps into your mind and makes you wonder what the image is all about.

There might be people, buildings, or other objects that are a part of the silhouette. It is up to you to decide what story is being told and that is part of its magic.

The purpose of this guide is to teach you the art of sunset silhouettes on the beach – my absolute favorite type of silhouette.

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These photos show what a sunset looks like from space

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I believe there are two kinds of people in this world: those who claim every sunset is unique, and those who claim they’re all the same. If you belong to the second group, here’s something that isn’t a “boring” sunset you see every day. Astronomer Alexander Gerst gives you a new perspective with two photos that show what a sunset looks like from space.

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Here’s how to mimic the sunlight using only a single flash

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I love it when the warm light of the setting sun fills up the room. It looks nice in photos, and it’s good to know that you can recreate it at any time of day. In this video from Adorama TV, photographer David Bergman will show you how to mimic the warm sunlight using only a single speedlight.

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When A Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter Saves the Day In Iceland

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Have you ever heard of a reverse graduated neutral density filter?

If not, this is a specialty filter designed to balance the lighting conditions between foreground and background at sunrise or sunset – when the sun (and therefore brightest part of the image) is at the horizon.

You’re not going to use this filter on a regular basis – but when you do need one, you’re going to be very happy that you packed it!

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How photographer gave his model wings using light painting

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If you’re into light painting, chances are you’re following ‎Zach Smidt’s work. We’ve featured his photos before, and recently, one of his stunning shots especially caught my eye.

Surrounded by the serene pink sunset, with gorgeous clouds as a backdrop, Zach’s model Juli stands reflected in the mirror-like water. The white wings are light-painted behind her, giving the additional sense of serenity to the image. I loved everything about this photo and wanted to know more. And Zach was kind enough to share a detailed tutorial of his shot with DIYP.

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How to enhance colors in sunset photos with a single layer, and get optimal results

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Even the magical light of the golden hour requires some enhancement in post-processing. There are a few ways to do it, and Denny Tang of Denny’s Tips suggest one of the simplest I’ve seen so far. He uses a single adjustment layer, and it’s the Channel Mixer. The whole editing process is pretty fast, yet gives natural-looking results on the photos taken during sunset (or sunrise).

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Top 18 tips for taking magnificent sunset photos

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When you read or hear the expression, “Photography is all about light,” you clearly understand the definition of each word; however, the true meaning from a photography perspective can be elusive. It takes time to fully grasp.

I clearly remember my first true photography experiment that accelerated my understanding of the basics of photography in regard to light.

It was a family camping trip. We had our campsite set on the beach of a small lake nestled in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal. I had plenty of time to experiment with my new Canon Digital Rebel. I set the camera on a tripod and took one picture every hour without changing the camera’s position or settings.

I took a total of 17 shots.

Back home, I transferred the photos to my computer and started analyzing them in Photoshop (Lightroom did not yet exist). I was completely astonished by the results of my seemingly simple experiment. Depending on the time of day, the location was completely unrecognizable. Any photo taken during the middle of the day looked washed out and quite boring. On the other hand, the photos taken during sunset and sunrise looked vibrant and full of energy.

This is when I realized that photography is defined by the quality of light and, contrary to common belief, that location is the secondary component of the equation.

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How a photographer creates “Pyramids in the Sky” using camera rotation and sunset

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I’ve heard many people say sunset photos are cliché and they all look the same. Therefore, I’m glad to present you with a project that makes them as unique as you can imagine. Photographer Jason D. Page has published a series named “Pyramids in the Sky”, featuring fantastic photos taken at dusk. But these images were made using camera rotation, so the final result is not what you’d expect from a sunset. It’s a series of eye-catching, abstract pyramids, painted by the Sun and the colorful sky in the sunset.

Jason has shared some details about his project with us, as well as the settings and gear he used. So if you still think sunsets are boring, here’s a fresh approach that might change your mind.

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