Minamiuonuma sunset & rice fields

[muikabochi 208]

In the last week or so there have been some really nice sunsets here in Minamiuonuma - the best time seems to be around 6pm-7pm and there have been some nice pinks, oranges and reds for a short time before it quickly gets dark. You can literally see the sun setting behind the mountains, it's amazing how fast it moves when it decides to go!

 

Anyway, I am not used to taking evening/night photos but went out around where I live the other evening. Took photos of some of the rice fields round where I live and drove up into the mountains at Shimizu Pass nearby (about 20 minutes from home). Twiddled a few dials to see what I could get and here's a few that came out ok. It has really spurred me on to try and get this night photo thing sorted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[joshnii 2]

Pretty decent start there muika

[rach 1]

You live in such a lovely area. Very nice.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

SO peaceful. Thanks for sharing.

[RobBright 35]

Originally Posted By: muikabochi

this but with a faster shutter speed

[foreversnow 5]

Beautiful photo's thanks for sharing

[Yuki's Passion 1]

awesome. sunsets have to be one of my most favorite things to photograph some nice shots

[iiyamadude 6]

sweet, keep clicking!

[muikabochi 208]

Thanks, will do.

I need to buy a tripod.

[thursday 1]

nice.....

[Curt 1]

Sometimes rice fields make good photos (as well as good rice!)

[big-will 7]

I really like the rice fields just before they get planted - on nights like that they look like huge mirrors. Great stuff.

 

Thanks muika.

[NoFakie 45]

Originally Posted By: RobBright

Originally Posted By: muikabochi

this but with a faster shutter speed

I think this one needs a smaller aperture or at least the point of focus at a different spot because you have the largest daisies blurred and some smaller ones quite sharp. The depth of focus is too tight and isn't drawing attention to anything that deserves it. You'd need smaller aperture to put more in focus. A longer exposure might mean the wind moving and blurring the daisies, but that can't be helped. You just have to wait till it drops.

I've got a F1.4 lens and there is no margin for error with it fully open. You can take angled portraits where the nearest eye is in focus but other parts of the face are not. With landscapes, its generally better to use smaller apertures where your lens performs best.

If you want to take great sunsets, climb the local highest mountain. Or go to the coast. The best colours come as the sun gets low and you can't see that with mountains in the way.

[muikabochi 208]

Thanks for the advice.

 

(I know that photo is by no means perfect, but somehow I just liked it. )

 

Will keep on learning how to fiddle around with these dials!

[thursday 1]

tripod yes.

 

Then you can set it on F22, have long long exposures and play with the manual settings.

 

Incidentally if the flower shot was tripoded, with the shutter wide open, a good flash on the petals would look great.

[Jynxx 4]

Sunsets...

In my past profession as a photographer it was the most difficult thing to capture.

Truthfully, I don't think photo's can describe the beauty of the actual sunset.

Most sunsets look like a cheap sangria (wine punch) or filter work so obvious it looks fake.

How convincing you can make the sunset is the measure of a photographer.

I come from the days of B&W Chibacrome and unless in some magazine media I used colour print. Those days the word creative photography was applied to the art of choosing the median point of the light, choosing the appropriate speed and aperture, and filter work.

In B&W, we will take a photo of an apple and try and inspire the rich redness and the crispy lush texture of the apple. In short, my b&w apple photo looks more redder and yummier than yours...Can you dig that !? For those who haven't grown up watching b&w TV and images probably never went through that process of imagination and creativity, unless you were inspired by b&w photography which looks refreshing amongst colour pics..

 

Muika, 3rd from top looks promising. Because it is a closeup and the trees in front comes up amongst other features...Your framing is good. As a matter of fact these days of point and shoot, the angle is the only interesting thing about most photos.

I once worked for a project called "24hrs in the Life of LA", one of those collaboration of photographers and what they can photograph in that day. The most interesting photo's were of that of Kids who were given disposal cameras and went loose... wow...

Muika your pics are getting too clean. If you don't like fooling around with settings, which is underatanderble, and you treasure the spontaneous, shoot like a kid. Explore some angles....

[Hotaka Scott 0]

Some great shots as always muikabochi! Keep 'em coming.

 

Although just a point and click guy myself, I can second Mr Wiggles statement that if you want to get the best colors in your sunsets, climb the nearest mountain.

[muikabochi 208]

Well I agree with you about interesting photos coming from whatever camera. Hey, I'm mostly point-and-shoot myself (admiteddly with a good camera)!

 

Not sure what you mean by my pics 'getting too clean', though I am aware that I have a certain style and the ones that I always like the best are probably of a certain style. There are lots more that I don't post, some of them sure aren't as clean.

 

As much as I want to take good pics and get better though, it's really just for fun! I'm not trying to win any competitions or make a living from it or anything - just want to enjoy it. I am interested to hear your comments though, thanks.

 

Took some more this evening will upload them later.

[muikabochi 208]

Some shots from this evening. Clouds are good too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ezorisu 0]

I always enjoy your photos, Muika!

[cheeseman 1]

I really like your photos too muikabochi.

How about including some cheese in some shots sometime?