*click to enlarge

focal length: 50 mm
shutter speed: 1/250
aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200
flash: none

Last night, we had the most amazing sunset. It started out pink, red and purple and as the sun set lower we had a blast of fiery omnipotence. I rushed outside with the camera into the middle of our street and took a few shots before the darkness took over. To get this silhouette look, try lowering your exposure compensation. I set mine to -1.0 so the houses and trees in the foreground became much darker, leaving the sky more ominous. In post processing, I increased the blacks ever so slightly just to darken the foreground a bit more. I also had to remove a large power line that ran across the center of the shot. I simply cut the bottom half and moved it up a bit followed by a little erasing and cloning to blend the two sections together.

Do you ever run like a kid to grab your camera when you are taken aback by the awesomeness of something? You should try it sometime. It’ll bring up your energy level for sure!

Laura is a Vancouver wedding and portrait photographer. Visit laurahana.com.