Need Help with Sunrise Shots

redleash

I tried to catch a nice sunrise shot this morning but I need help with the settings. I'm shooting a D80 with my 18-55 kit lens. I took a shot on full auto and started with those settings, f4.8 and 1/20. Then I tried a combo of manual, program, shutter, and aperture modes with different speeds and apertures. Also tried bracketing to get better exposures and changed the WB once or twice. Tried MF and AF. I did not use a remote but did set the timer. I did use a tripod. All shot at ISO 100.

Some of the colors are OK, or at least have potential, but everything is fuzzy and/or blurry. Also lots of noise. I do need to get the sensor cleaned, but I don't expect it is the only problem. I am planning on a new lens--still undecided on which way to go--but I still think I should be able to get a decent sunrise shot. I got some nice shots on my recent trip.

I'm posting just one of the shots--most have been trashed already. I'm looking for advice on the best way to capture this sunrise. Again, it's the clarity/focus that's the biggest problem. Is it camera shake? Slow speed? Dirty sensor? Wrong ISO? A leprechaun? :dunno

Any help will be appreciated. X2 size is in my gallery.

Thanks,
Lauren

Scott_Quier

There's not much, if anything, really wrong with this photo. You have some nice reds, purples, and blues in there, just not very saturated. So, a little Photoshop (Photoshop Elements) love will fix it right up. Increase the saturation a touch, add a little contrast, and adjust the exposure to taste and you should be there.

To make life easier in the future, there are a couple of common tricks I use that seem to work, though I'm sure there are others here with much better ideas:

• Shoot RAW - everything works better in RAW (except getting lots and lots of shots very quickly - the buffer in your camera is only so large )
• Watch your histogram - get it exposed properly. You may have an area that is blown (right around the sun, for example) and if that's what you want - great. But be doing it purposfully.
• Most photos that come right out of the camera, especially sunrise/sunsets, need some real help in the saturation department.

redleash

Thanks, Scott. I will try a little PS tweaking.

Scott_Quier

Not knowing what you saw, I took a quick stab at it. Easy stuff...

redleash

Thanks, Scott. It's a bit too harsh for what I saw, but I like the colors. We've had some great skies here this summer so I will go out and try some more later this week. I'm also working with PS Elements so I don't have quite the breadth of PP available. But as you say, a little work on Sat and Contrast makes a big difference. Thanks again.

BTW, I took a quick pick at your site. I love those mtn sheep pics!