Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Same scene, different camera settings = stunning results.

Damaraland, Namibia sunset scene taken May 2011.
Camera Canon SX10IS at 10 MP.



Both photos unadjusted, and not photoshopped. Once again I was trying to capture the low light burning through the grass seed heads. Late and heavy rains had breathed luxurious life in the desert. I was inspired by the abundant long grasses, the way light during early morning or evening played through their silvery tassels. I thought it was incredible beauty on display. Mother Nature at her best!
                                                                                      
First photo taken on Auto Focus setting. 

       

Photo below taken on Sunset setting. Strikingly enhanced colourisation of the subject.



Many parts of Africa are noted for the burning sunsets caused by fine dust of the red/orange  soils taken up in the atmosphere. Around Brandberg Mountain the effect is striking as the sun lowers and the land around you takes on a deep pronounced reddish colour. My  blog header photo examples this.

And then I took this-




And this! Only been cropped. But closer focus seems to heighten the colour intensity.


I've been really intrigued by the amazing results of playing around with different settings, but whatever the result, the striking fiery intensity of African sunsets or sunrises makes for incredible photography experiences!

We're booking a return trip next year!

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21 comments:

Red Nomad OZ said...

Wow! The contrast is AMAZING!!! I love them all - but perhaps that's because they also remind me of the Aussie Outback??

Have a great day!!

Melissa Tandoc said...

I'm not so sure with the technicalities of taking photos but I do enjoy the "artwork" done on them... I like all the photos although I enjoyed it more as I scrolled down. The first photo seemed a bit raw.

You have given the perfect adjective for the African sunset..."blazing"...I like the colors yellow,red and orange... I could just imagine how beautiful this would be on a canvas.

Julia said...

Love the photos Jim. And welcome back! I was thinking the other day you hadn't been around for a while and then I saw your Facebook page and it all made sense. :)

JIM said...

Fantastic images Jim Love the saturation of colors and the composition. Cropping can be a very important tool bringing what is important into prominence and getting rid of unimportant areas.

Jim

Roy Durham said...

hey Jim Howdy you have been awarded the Kreativ blogger award. how about that more wall paper. come see thank you and god bless great pics

Finding One's Way said...

Jim,
Those are the Best sunsets I have ever seen...
Wow
xoxo
Jessica

Matt Hope said...

It's crazy the differences the settings can make. I've done this with a few spots I've been in and it always amazes me.

Sebab said...

Fantastic views!

adventureswithben said...

Namibia is next on my Southern Africa tour!

The Travel Chica said...

I love posts like this that help me remember I need to experiment more with my camera settings.

The Dropout said...

Stunning, all of them. I actually like the first one a lot, though.

Kriti said...

Those were breathtaking Jim! Absolutely splendid! I have to go there for a visit too. You always inspire me to travel..

robin said...

Absolutely stunning series and also a tutorial on photographic exposure!!

Sophie | Sophie's World said...

Love these photos! Africa is so beautiful!

Rachel Hoyt said...

How cool to see the different versions! I like the cropped one a lot. It does make a striking difference.

Nancie said...

Stunning shots Jim. Welcome back.

inka said...

Fabulous. I can only learn from you and will be a bit more adventurous in the future.

Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista said...

Sunsets always make nice pictures but yours are splendid! Loved all of them.

Christy @ Technosyncratic said...

What a great idea to take photos of the same scene, but on different settings. Being able to compare really makes it obvious what each setting is meant for!

Jim said...

Thanks for all the comments everyone! I've been having trouble logging in as anything other than annonymous - seems I needed a password reset.

But I have plenty more great pics of sunset/rise scenes from Namibia and Botswana to post. It's a photographers dream to be there.

Debra said...

Breathtaking beauty here Jim – pure magic! These are indeed amazing results... turned into works of art. You must be on cloud nine, having captured such glowing warmth. Bravo! Keep it up, wherever you may roam. But these scenes will be hard to surpass in splendor.