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Chasing the Sun: How to predict the sun’s position to improve composition

Recently, I posted a photo to my Instagram account. Unexpectedly, some media shared the photo, and soon enough, it went viral. Well, maybe better to say “locally viral”. But at the same speed, comments like “it’s fake” and “it’s photoshopped” arrived. To be honest, I didn’t care much. There was something in that feeling of having my own 5 minutes of fame that made me want to enjoy the moment, and not get into disputes with those who doubted. But at the same time, I understood them. I also couldn’t believe my own eyes when I saw that yellow blob on the back screen of my camera.

Anyway, what I want to share here, is the process I went through before I made this shot. And it starts way before I clicked the shutter button for the pic below.

Photographer matches sky photos with silhouettes in this fun creative project

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I usually don’t find sky photos to be the most interesting photos in the world. But the Netherlands-based photographer Lân Nguyen has challenged my opinion. By adding simple silhouettes to the scene, he manages to turn sky photos into fun and super-creative artwork.

Here is the science behind what makes sunset photos so beautiful

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Golden Hour and Blue Hour are the optimum times for us photographers. It’s been drilled into us since day one. We have apps that tell us when the sun will rise and set, and tell us in which direction. The thing is, it’s only worth knowing that information if the sunset or sunrise is going to add to our shot.

There’s a science behind beautiful sunrises and sunsets. This article aims to arm you with the key factors which make for a beautiful sky.

Seven tips to help you shoot the perfect beach silhouettes

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Silhouette images can really pack a punch! They can be very striking and have the ‘wow’ factor. But how do you take them? Follow the tips below to take your own perfect beach silhouette images!

All the images here, were taken either on the beach or on the cliff tops above the beach. The beach is a great location for silhouette photography because of the wide open sky and uncluttered background.

How to swiftly enhance sunset colors in Lightroom

There are many factors that create an impactful and pleasing to the eye image. To me, color is one of the key ingredients in creating a photograph. When we shoot in raw we have to “develop” the images ourselves, and that includes deciding on the colorwork. In fact, one of the reasons why I find photography so compelling is that it gives me room to develop an image and give it my personal interpretation.

Lightroom, Photoshop and many other editing programs come with many color enhancing tools. In this brief article, we will have a look at the color enhancing techniques I apply frequently and which can be carried out very swiftly in Lightroom. The HSL section in Lightroom may cause transition lines between colors (a.k.a. banding). This technique, however, won’t leave any harsh transition lines.

Photographing sunsets and the Milky Way in in magical Tuscany

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.

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.

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.

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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