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Diane Miller
10-17-2013, 10:12 AM
Full disclosure: This is a composite. (I don't know how frowned-on that is here.) I kept hoping for a scene like this and we only had one of these dust-filtered sunsets in three weeks of very inflexible travel. And there wasn't a tree in sight. So I combined two images that, for me, tell a story.

The sun was shoot with the Canon 5D2, 300mm f/2.8 IS, 2X TC, big Gitzo, Wimberley II, probably mirror lockup with a remote release. I don't quite believe the EXIF but it says ISO 400, f/10, 1/45 sec. I don't remember why I had the aperture that small but it was typical of the trip that it probably would have been a rushed setup.

I'm on the road and don't have the specs on the tree shot. The spots on the sun are sunspots. I didn't use a solar filter, the atmosphere was enough. It was in Namibia or Botswana, two years ago. I neglected to bring the location information with me, also.

Roman Kurywczak
10-17-2013, 11:59 AM
I like the tones and colors here Diane as well as the comp. The small bush on the LH side is a bit bothersome......maybe shaving it down so it doesn't intersect with the hill? A nice one overall and a nice job blending too.

Diane Miller
10-17-2013, 04:43 PM
Thanks, Roman. I debated about that bush. Easy to go out with the virtual chain saw.

Anette Mossbacher
10-17-2013, 05:38 PM
Hi Diane,

very nice scene. I agree with Roman on the bush, that's a taste thing I guess. The tree would might look a bit better when turned more black, the upper part in the sun, but again is taste. I did not try it out how it looks than. When I think about, nop stay how it is, otherwise it looks to "kitschig" > German word, don't know it in English.
That you can see the sun spots concerns me a bit :2eyes2:, but since it is 2 years old I am fine again :bg3::tinysmile_shy_t:

Have a great evening

Ciao
Anette

Don Nelson
10-18-2013, 05:33 PM
Diane
Outstanding comp and love the colors of the sun/sky. Agree on the bush. Very well done!

Andrew McLachlan
10-18-2013, 06:46 PM
Lovely Diane...agree on the bush. You did a very nice job of keeping the main tree from merging with the distant hillside!

LinzRiverBalmer
10-19-2013, 01:44 AM
I LOVE this Diane.

I'm going to disagree with the others, I don't mind the bush at all, I think the bush is getting the bad rap from the lighter "hill???" behind it..... I think without the lighter mountain (guessing) I think the bush would be fine.

It's that lighter brown that is bugging me, everything else I just love, I'm an easy sell on silhouettes, I have a ton of them.

Morkel Erasmus
10-19-2013, 07:22 AM
Love the comp/mood - one of the better "fabricated" :w3 iconic idyllic African sunset shots I've seen.
Don't mind the PP as long as it's disclosed, good on your for that Diane.
I also don't mind the small bush.
I dig the sunspots! Maybe I'm just weird that way :Whoa!:
It's a pity that there is some jpg compression/artifacting in the sky, but downsizing for forum posting can do that. (You know that you can post at 1200px and 400kb now?)

Diane Miller
10-19-2013, 11:33 AM
Thanks everyone! Can easily do a "State 2" with mods to the bush and hill. It was a bit tricky to match the two images in that area and I left it pretty much as it happened.

I left the top of the tree a bit washed out by the sun, which was brighter at the top, so it looked a little more natural. Would have been easy to keep it as a sharper silhouette there but I agree it would look kitschy. (That's an English word too!)

Cheryl Slechta
10-19-2013, 04:47 PM
I like it fine the way it is Diane. Lovely composite:S3:

Don Railton
10-21-2013, 11:17 PM
Love this Diane..!

The sun spots are my only niggle, bit like pimples on a beautiful face... I think removing the bush would also help but thats not biggie for me.

DON

Diane Miller
10-22-2013, 06:42 AM
Yeah, if someone doesn't recognize that they are sunspots they look like a mistake. It should be titled appropriately, and maybe bring them out even more. I never shot sunspots before so was excited to see them. I didn't see them when shooting -- only when I got them in the computer.

Normally you would need a solar filter to shoot that.