shooting sunsets

O

ondawan

Active member
Hey there,
I use a dvx100 and am wondering about shooting a sunset to then accelerate it in fcp.
Isn't it the worst to shoot directely into the sun? Can cameras hack it? You often see this kind of shot on tv so i guess it can be done but would just like to get some opinions and advice if possible.
Thanks in advance,
 
Re: shooting sunsets

These cameras have no problem shooting into the sun. You may need some extra ND to get the right exposure, and if you're going for the actual ball sinking behind the mountains, you should probably go with a daylight balance. If you have great color in the clouds, a tungsten balance will be ok, and will add a lot of blue to the surrounding sky. I you're going to timelapse the aftermath of the sun sinking (color in clouds to darkness). Go with the tungsten balance as it will make the sky a rich blue.
 
Re: shooting sunsets

Thank you both,
Cool Hans, how many frames every how much time for the san francisco film ? Do you remember? Or did you record it without the dvx stopmotion function?
 
Re: shooting sunsets

That was a good example of a frame rate set too slow for smooth moving clouds. Time lapse all depends on what you want to see moving smoothly. If it's a boulding being constructed sprouting up from the ground, it's a frame a day. If it's the construction cranes on that building moving smoothly, it's a frame every few seconds. If it's clouds roiling in the sky, it's a frame every five seconds. And it's always better to shoot a faster frame rate, as you can always speed things up in post, but if the images aren't captured, your hosed.
 
Re: shooting sunsets

[quote author=ondawon link=board=news;num=1091439153;start=0#4 date=08/04/04 at 00:50:56]how many frames every how much time for the san francisco film ?[/quote]

I used the interval mode at its shortest setting. So, a 0.5sec capture every 15secs.

After doing several time lapses, both with the DVX and my Canon G3 camera, I am convinced that the best method is to use a digital camera attached to a computer. Use capture software to grab high resolution images directly from the camera at a rate specific to the material you want. Then cleanup, resize, and import the images into your editing package as a film roll. This will give you better image quality and more capture flexibility.
 
Re: shooting sunsets

HansK, fully agree with what you say. I use the Fuji S2pro with the camera shooting software that allows for nice stopmotion effects.
Maybe a helpful hint is to stop down quite a bit when shooting sundowns,
the picture will be much more dramatic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top