Compositions during a Stunning Sunset

Hi All,

Last weekend Matt and I had our first sunset shoot together for 2018. The cloud formations had been great during the day but as sunset approach the evil low grey clouds came in for what we thought would probably fizz out the sunset. Something that seems to occur every time the two of us meet for a sunset/rise shoot. Soldier on we thought, and sure enough those nasty clouds disappeared and we were treated to a cracking sunset.

Below are three shots from the evening. They show the progression of the sunset as it became more intense, with colours intensifying. However, they also demonstrate how moving the camera a metre here and there and changing the camera's orientation can create quite different compositions. Each photo is taken at the same rock pool of water.

The first photo has the pool towards the bottom right of the photo, with the camera positioned to make it look less like a pool and more as a channel with water flowing through it.

Moving to my right about a metre and maybe a step backwards and the rock pool now takes shape, bound by rock on all sides. Waiting for the water to subside we're left with calmer water that now reflects the sunset sky. I was also drawn to the interesting texture of the water outflow from the pool.

For the final photo I've moved further to the right to capture the rock pool from it's corner. I've also flipped the camera vertically to squeeze some more sky into the photo while still keeping a nice ratio of land to sky. Even though I was using a 16mm lens the whole rock pool didn't fit in the frame from this angle, therefore I took a two exposure panorama. By this time the receding tide has left the rock pool water level lower and quite still.

As you can see, a few steps here and there, and changes in camera orientation can lead to quite different compositions of the same scene.

Be Creative