How to not blow out sunsets

I am wondering if any of you could pass on some advice as to how to best capture a colorful sunrise or sunset with a digital SLR. Shooting my D200 in various modes (fully automatic with exposure compensation of fully manual with either wide open or closed aperature and associated shutter speed) I seem to be unable to aptly capture the warm reds and yellows we often get in the early morning or evening sky. And some of the sunsets I've tried to capture are simply stunning. And it doesn't even have to be a tropical location! Ok, admittedly, this is the 'remote' tie-in to uw photography! Anyway, this morning i was driving to w%*$ (I hate that 4-letter word) and saw the rising sun like the huge red fireball in my rearview mirror, just as it was rising over the horizon. I pulled over, grabbed my camera and tried to capture the amazing scene developing before me - alas to no avail. Does anyone know of a basic "formula" for this kind of setting?

Thanks!

Hi Gen,

The thing about sunsets/rises is that there is something like 10+ stops of difference between the light and dark areas. That is more than our cameras can capture. If your camera is on a tripod, you can take one picture to properly expose the sky and one to properly expose the dark ground, then combine them in photoshop.

Another technique is to use a graduated neutral density to bring down the brightness of the sky by 2 or 3 stops, depending on the filter you buy.

Cheers

James

hi

grad filters are one option as james has said,

usually you will need a tripod, or to rest the camera on something solid so you can shoot at a slower speed, some of the best sunsets i have seen are where the photographer uses a good flash to highlight a foreground object, alternatively look for a nice silhouette to give the shot interest,

forthe colour match, better to shoot raw and adjust the WB after

steve

The double exposure is a good idea if you have the time, filers are helpful but lets's start with the basics and fundementals: First Meter on the middle exposure area of the composition using centerweight or even spot. Lock the meter on say trees or beach sand anywhere that is in the middle between the bright sun and the dark forground/subject and that should give you a good compromise.

Quick tip: Use a tripod Arperature priority for f16 or f22 and let the colors burn in with a longer exposure you should get the shot, no tripod follow above and below:

More Tips:

I like the A/E A/F button on AE only (change in the custom menu), you can lock the exposure from anywhere, then compose/focus and shoot.

You can also use your bracket mode feature, fire of three shots, on hot, one dark and one the meter says. This can be programmed for larger stops also. You can also go manual doing your own bracketing with different stops. Don't forget to try the different meter modes, practice/experiment, the raw detail is all stored so you don't have to take notes. Look at the best pic on the computer and make a mental note of the settings that worked best.

Don't forget the RAW mode will give you lots of exposure leway same as breacketing and worst case the shadow/highlight feature in photoshop can also be a big help.

-Steve

I generally use a tripod or something to rest the camera on and underexpose with bracketing. If you have detail you can always lighten the exposure later. I'd shoot in manual mode, auto isn't going to get it.

Jack

From your collective responses it sounds like it might be a good idea to start keeping my tripod in the car as well.... And I didn't even think about the auto-bracketing function of the camera. I am still getting used to the idea of being able to "waste" dozens, if not hundreds of pictures to get that one good one. Not to start another philosophical discussion, but I am still in the mental frame of mind to try and shoot that "perfect" shot with each and every exposure. That comes from years of shooting expensive slide media. I do seem to recall, however, that my sunset/sunrise pictures from those days turned out much more colorful.

GG

My method (not originally mine B) ) is to shot manualy and with spot metering, Find the most bright area in the frame and calibrate the exposure (F stop and speed) to be on the +2 scale (over exposed of two stops), that guarantee that the most bright area won't be burned, then I check the dark areas around for thus that are above the -2 scale (two stoops under), areas that are less of it will seen as black or close for that.

Since we used digital we can check the results in the field, using the histogram and change if needed.

Buy a point and shoot and select "sunset mode" Seriously, adding to the above I also crank up the ISO just a bit (400) and use whatevers available to steady my arms with (car hood) while taking the picture with a very slow shutter speed.