Hey Everyone,
I was in Dublin City for the Easter Risisng commemorations last week. I decided to take a sunset picture of the Custom House in the city centre, then stay to get the special centenary lights an blend those into my sunset later. Instead i got this shot of a crazy sunset/ weather combo...
Edit: after realizing I need to explain myself better!
The sunset was very disappointing as a bad weather front swept in however I stuck with it as I could see on radar that the cloud was very patchy. In the end there was 3-4 minutes of intense, but very directional red/ orange light where the sunlight peaked through the clouds. This was reflected by a hail shower that swept down river causing the unearthly red glow you can see here. I've never seen anything quite like it before!
When I captured this I decided to abandon my original plan to blend in the lights later- the building is lit up like our national flag for the centenary celebrations, so it would have been too much.
There are 3 frames blended here. A base, one darker to ensure the intense orange in the clouds on the left wasn't blown out, and a lighter one for the building itself.
If I understand you this is blended shot of a sunset and the artificail lights that came on after the sunset. Is the stange side by side effect something you did in the blend or something that happened in the blend? In other words is this a direct result of you seeing that you might make this happen or was it a total accident.
Either way it is bizzar and striking and I really like it, although it is very strange and rather disturbing.
Sorry, I haven't explained myself properly. Blending in the lights was my original intent, however the overcast conditions meant that I might not have done that anyway.
As the sun was setting and breaking through the clouds on the left of the frame there was strong orange light for maybe 3-4 minutes max.
Simultaneously s hail shower swept in down the river and reflected all that orange/ red light, creating the bizarre glow that you can see here.
In the end the only blending was a darker frame so that the brightest sunset light peeking through the clouds didn't blow out, and a slightly brighter one of the building. Blending in the lighting on top would have been too much.
I actually have a snapchat video where you can see the effect happening too!
Cool as cool. Amazing. A once in a life-time shot. Well done.
What a cool shot and event!! I feel like the house is a little t neutral white for the strong reds on the left.. I'd give a little red reflection, But that's about the only idea I have to improve this shot (;