Winter Sunset in the Desert

We get some very nice sunsets in Arizona at this time of the year. I went out to capture some colour last evening, beginning with a shot taken down our driveway.

I wanted a large cactus silhouetted against the evening sky. I didn’t have to go very far, just across the fence to Smokehouse Trail, where I was able to line up a large Saguaro quite nicely.

Just a couple of thoughts on photographing sunsets…

The light is dim, so a tripod is essential to getting a sharp image.

I like to photograph all landscapes in manual mode; a sunset fits in this category. To set the exposure, I choose a low sensor sensitivity, typically ISO 100. I work with the LCD monitor on the back of the camera to adjust the aperture and shutter settings to give me the exposure I want. I begin with the aperture setting, to ensure good depth of field (f8 +). Then I adjust the shutter speed to achieve the desired luminosity (in this case 0.4 sec for the first image; 1.3 sec for the second) 

All that’s left is to focus, which I do manually; also using the LCD monitor. To ensure sharp focus, I expand the image on the LCD monitor by a multiple of 10. I choose my point of focus and dial in the focus. I then examine other parts of the image,  foreground and background to ensure I have good focus throughout.

Keep in mind that it’s getting dark and you may have difficulty seeing to adjust the camera and to focus it. I carry a flashlight for looking at the camera controls and for illuminating my chosen point of focus. If you can’t see it you can’t focus it. If it’s dark in the area where you’re trying to focus, you can’t revert to auto-focus. It won’t be able to see either!

The flashlight may also be handy in finding your way home too!