Relaxing Sunset

[blech]

Hi all. My name is Bartek and currently live in Scotland. I'm pretty new here but I hope to get some good critiques/advices and meet some new people that are also interested in photography as much as I am.
Here is my first photo that I'd like to get some feedback for. Took it just 2 days ago while being out with my brother (photo). Every evening we love going out and stare at the sunset. It's so relaxing and the view is stunning. Had this idea in my head for a while now but never had a chance to pull it off. This is actually an HDR because that was the only way for me to achieve the desire effect.
Hope you guys like it and I look forward to your comments


Relaxing Sunset by Bartek Lech, on Flickr

[amk1977]

Hi Bartek and welcome to the forum.

I very much like this photo. It has a great, cinematic quality to it and its almost as if its just missing a movie title and cast list on the right hand side. The sunset is great and the warm tones throughout the photograph work very well. I get a sense of destiny, hope. A journey or adventure to something worthwhile beyond the horizon.

I don't know if its just my screen incorrectly calibrated or not, but I want to see just a fraction more exposure/detail in the trouser. I can just make it out if I move my head around. It might be fine on yours. Apart from that, I think its great. Very well done!

[blech]

Thanks for comment. Glad you like the photo. I can see where you coming from and I really like the idea. Might add some typography to it later on . The trousers area is just about fine on my screen but that being said my monitor needs yet to be calibrated so I can't really tell which one is correct :/ .

[amk1977]

Sounds like someone else who's got a Spyder 3 monitor calibrator on their shopping list lol. I know I need to get one soon.

Great photograph though. Keep them coming!

[blech]

Hah that is exactly what I want to get. Just don't have a 100 quid to throw away currently.

Thanks appreciate it. I definitely will!

[deena]

I really like this shot. I'm on my laptop at the moment so I wouldnt like to comment on the exposure/detail. But it looks absolutely fine to me. I really like his checked shirt. Was that just something he happened to be wearing? I think it really adds to the photo. Love the overall colour and the vignetting too. Can I ask about your exposure settings. Did you use spot metering on the sky?
Edit: Sorry I've just realized it's a hdr from your original post. I take it you used 3 bracketed shots??

[blech]

Thanks Deena appreciate it! Just something he happened to be wearing fortunately. Yes 3 bracketed shots: -2, 0, +2

[MattUK]

Great shot - really nice colours. I think the tendency with a shot like this is to over-expose the silhouetted areas, which can often give the image a surreal look, because the lighting is 'impossible'. I like its darkness and moodiness

[blech]

Hey, thanks Matt. Yeah I think most shots like that have the silhouette area over exposed but I wanted to keep the "relaxing" feel/mood so I've decided to keep it fairly dark. Anyway, thanks and glad you like it!

[ianpinion]

Cracking shot! I love the quality of the light, as it really adds to the overall mood of the image that I believe you were trying to convey.