Sunbursts How to?

I have a D2x but cant seem to get a good sunburst, they always have that cyan fringe around them and no real light streaks, with one exception, in very shallow water. For those with this camera and who get good sunbursts what do you do and can you post a pic of it with depth. Thanks.

I don't have that camera but i do have a Nikon, these days i try to leave the main part of the ball outside of the frame, i get pretty good results with the streaks coming in that way and avoid the cyan thing.

there's a good thread on sunbursts here:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...mp;hl=sunbursts

5 pages of sunburst discussion...everything you want to know and more.

btw, for what it's worth, I think having the right kind of particles in the water and being shallow really helps...perhaps the water you are shooting in is too clear?

Scottt

Hi Patrick (& others interested),

While these suggestions are restrictive they certainly help:

1) hide the sunball behind a convenient object, so you only have to worry about the rays:

2) if that is not possible, don't have the whole sun in the frame:

3) shoot late in the day when the sun is less intense:

4) staying shallow reduces cyan fringing:

5) calm conditions really help:

6) fast shutter speeds freeze rays:

7) and finally, don't be afraid of the sun. Most of the time the camera will do a decent job. Not all conditions will produce beautiful rays of light - but the sun always adds depth to an image - as long as the exposure is reasonably controlled. This is a sort of "standard" sun burst shot taken at about 12-15m, in normal, not perfect conditions. But I think that the sun adds to, not distracts in this shot:

All these photos taken with the D2X.

Alex

Thanks Alex, I think some of my problem was not using a high enough shutter speed, I'll give that a try, also that seal shot is fantastic!

Scott: You might be right

I like the first tip, using a convenient object to block the sun. I always travel with a sea lion just to get the lighting right! Beautiful shot, of course.

Also, I recall seeing a photoshop action for this. Maybe that's cheating though.