Shot a few days after New Years Day in Sydney, there had been a rain storm go through only an hour before this was taken. Dark rain clouds were still about when I setup to shoot. I hadn't shot anything for quite a while, and whilst the cloud cover looked like sunset was going to be a non event I went out anyway. Long story short, it turned into an absolute winner of a sky, I haven't seen a sunset at this location with such dramatic sky and colour before.
The climax of the colour only lasted about 5 minutes and I was able to take 3 separate captures in that time before it immediately faded, on review this image was the peak.
I don't think I've ever shot a sunset with such dynamic range. This image was bracketed as 3 photographs per frame 2 stops apart, and although it captured all the highlights and shadows with adjustment in those photos, when HDR combined with my normal technique, I just didn't seem to be able to blend it well. It took me weeks of trying different methods until I finally got it to represent what I saw that night.
So exposure range was from 0.5 to 8 seconds, F11, ISO200, focal length 20mm. Shot on a Sony A99II and the Zeiss 16-35 2.8 lens. Using a Nisi Filters Polariser and Cokin GND. Benro Tripod and a Novoflex VR Slim Panorama Head.