Sunset Photography TIPS & TRICKS in New Zealand

[@colinstalker]

" You only need one," so true mate! What a sky and your final image was the " one"

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks mate! :)

[@matteotroncone]

In my view you’re the best teacher out there because you also address the emotional and spiritual aspects of the process. Bravo e Grazie .🙏🏻

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

That really means a lot mate. Didn't even realise I was. Thank you!

[@matteotroncone]

You talked about being in the “flow state”, slowing down, not running around, remaining calm and grounded. These are, in my view, deep truths beyond the ego where true creativity happens- whether we realize it or not. Your approach allows it to flow instead of trying to make something happen. This is how I work too. Good stuff mate. Cheers

[@don7117]

Knowing how fast the sun drops below the horizon, I can't believe how calm you are getting your composition! Great tutorial. Thanks! Love your work.

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Haha, thanks Don. Just experience I guess. I must've been out for over 1000 sunsets by this stage haha. Also,. at this latitude, we admittedly have a touch more time of the sun being low, compared to places closer to the equator. Especially coming into winter, the sun stays at a lower arc here which is awesome.

[@don7117]

@@WilliamPatinoPhotography I am on the North Atlantic, on the east coast of Canada and was doing a lot of sunrise photos when the pandemic lockdowns started and we couldn't go into work. One morning I took a video of the sunrise, and it was 2 minutes from the sun just starting to break until it was totally clear of the horizon. With sunrise, as opposed to sunset, it's the time before the sun rises that we have to compose photos, but no matter how early I go and get set up, I always seem to end up in panic mode 😀. More practice is definitely needed!

[@johnchambers6272]

Appreciate that you shared this evening shoot, as always picked up a few tips. There wouldn't be many photographers that would have stayed as calm as that with the light kicking off and no composition planned. That last image certainly was the pick. Your videos have an excellent balance of in the field, image reviews and editing.

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks so much mate

[@shupingyin8082]

Another fantastic episode Will

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@davidtaranzaphotography3324]

Absolutely epic light! I myself would prefer the "rocks-in-the-water" pic, but I'm kinda obsessed 😀 Admire your calmness when looking for a composition, with such low sun I would be panicking out for not having my framing yet. Something to get inspired by. Thanks for another great video!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thank you so much 😀

[@andrewkeir2282]

I like the rocks in water one the best

[@photonsonpixels]

Nice lesson, William. Thank you.

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

My pleasure!

[@juanitakelly3082]

Great lesson!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks! 😃

[@jenniferkichinko9125]

I love those days when you just know it’s going to blow up! Great video, will!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

It’s an exciting feeling haha. Although I’m always a skeptic, I’ve had days even like this where it all kept blowing over and disappeared last minute 😅😂

[@jenniferkichinko9125]

@@WilliamPatinoPhotography saddest days ever when they flop like that 😂🤣😆

[@alantuohy8542]

That sky was breathtaking

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Sure was mate 🙏🏻

[@MarcelloQuieti]

awesome stuff! the thought process behind compositions and which ones work the best is so useful. thank you for sharing!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks a lot mate!

[@andrewharrison2814]

Brilliant video as usual really enjoy watching and learning from your channel thanks for the time taken to make the videos

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks mate, I appreciate that.

[@leannecullen8317]

Great to see the end result of that sunset. What a beauty it was and you captured it so nicely. Imagine the helicopter shot!! Thanks for the video🤩

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

I’d rather not think about it 😂🙏🏻

[@woflgangdurst6752]

Fantastic video! Love how you explain your compositional choices. Always enjoy your videos William. Truly spectacular Sky! Thanks. Wolfgang

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thank you 🙏🏻 💚

[@hubert.fotografia]

Absolutely epic sunset, Will :). Wish my local area was at least half like yours - gorgeous!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks mate! :)

[@hubert.fotografia]

@@WilliamPatinoPhotography By the way: I sent you couple of solutions there on Instagram in regards of your SD card ;)

[@corinnelacroix5796-v5x]

Thanks a lot ,so clear as the water of the Lake ! Actualy I see the same Lake and the same sky with my husband....I will try the best with my camera also !

[@davidmaltby2065]

William, another cracking video. The way you explain your process is so informative and helpful

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

My pleasure mate, thank you!

[@danmckee4988]

As I call it “Reading the sky.” I absolutely, 1000%+ agree that an open horizon with medium to high clouds the best potential for stunning sunrises and sunsets. I’ll check the forecast for several days before I plan to shoot to see what days have good potential. Also, I’ll check the forecast for locations that are a 100+ miles away to see how the cloud cover is in those location to determine how open is the horizon may be. But, even if the forecast doesn’t look favorable, sometimes I’ll still go shoot because you never truly know and then the ‘magic’ happens!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Completely agree mate! Thanks for viewing 🙏🏻

[@jeroenrotty]

Loved this video very much. Thank you for your explanation after the shoot of how you find the compositions!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

My pleasure, thank you mate :)

[@rosssayer6524]

Thanks William for taking us along on that brilliant Sunset, it was just great watching you trying different compositions and of course focus stacking. The tips and tricks I've been able to get from your video is so helpful, there is always 1 thing I get each time you put out a new video and always explained so the novice can understand. Awesome image at the finish.

[@melissam731]

Very helpful with composition.

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thank you :)

[@carbybirett]

This was the 3rd movie I watched now tonight and I have learnt so much. I live here in Qld / Australia and I was worrying about you getting eaten alive by midges. Looking forward to your next one ....... keep safe Carl

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

😂 thanks mate appreciate the support! 👊🏻🙏🏻

[@AJRich-pw1zm]

Thanks for the video and insight. I often find myself running like a crazy man when the sky ignites! Gotta get those comps!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Haha. Thanks mate 👊🏻

[@mariuslabuschagne9012]

Thanks for taking us along this incredible sunset. I would even keep the first image, just do a 4 by 5 crop of it.

[@duncanmeechan5694]

Thanks for that video William it was really good, what a fantastic sky it was but more importantly I loved how you lead us through the video and explained exactly what you wanted and why you wanted it, the composition information was excellent, thank you very much, I really enjoyed this and hopefully I will get some practice in with those composition tips 😁👍

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks Duncan, appreciate the support mate 🙏🏻

[@ChristianWandzala]

Great walkthrough in the field. The fact you're not using a tripod for half minute focus-stacked exposures is blowing my mind though. I loved the dead tree, personally.

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Cheers mate 🙏🏻👊🏻

[@dirkgibbens377]

This might be my favorite video of yours yet, although I’ve only come across your channel in the past week. I like how you shared it as a walk-along and showed the process of finding a proper vantage point for the best image. Too often I see a beautiful sunrise, sunset or other landscape and by the time I trudge around looking for a good vantage point the lighting has changed and the opportunity is lost. I know you are well practiced, but it still blows my mind at the slow shutter speeds you use in handheld photos. Wondering how you do focus stacking on handheld images. I have always only done it with a tripod because even the slight motion to change a focus point introduces movement in the camera so the images won’t line up when I stack them. How do you do it? Thanks for the wonderful content, and for being a source of instruction and inspiration on my photographic journey!

[@ebrahimsheriff9537]

Thank you making this video. So interesting to listen to your thought process. It really helps amateur photographers like me. Had a question, on a number of occasions, at different compositions, you were taking 3 to 4 shots in quick succession consistently. Can you explain why? Is it because it was handheld and you did not want to take a chance in case some might be blur?. Thanks again!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks so much for the support and comment. The fast shutter in succession is me focus stacking. It takes a few frames at different focal points. Needs to be blended later in post. Helps get the whole scene sharp when you’re very close to foreground. I have a video on this on my channel :)

[@katfoster7732]

Stunning 😍

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks Kat 🙏🏻😊

[@mattburgessphoto]

I love how that camera focus stacks automatically !!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

You and me both! 😅🤙🏼

[@GaryCunninghamyouareenough]

Thank you as always man 🙏🤘📸

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Cheers Gaz!

[@aprilespinoza88]

Focus stacking for landscapes? That sounds coo! Do you have a video on this?

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Sure do just search my name and focus stacking :)

[@johnniewelbornjr.8940]

This touched on so many aspects of sunrises/sunrises and lengthier golden hours here in North Dakota/eastern Montana, for I often feel fortunate to have the extra working time. Weather is everything, as well (with a bit of luck tossed in when it comes to predicting holes/breaks in clouds). Paying attention to how clouds are most likely to light up as the show unfolds is important since it changes so rapidly. I agree with the composition thoughts, too. Always try out different compositions if they're available, for sometimes the experiments pay off handsomely. Even though elements such as rocks could potentially be moved about in PS, I am not a fan of doing that, either. I admit, I probably would have spent too much time trying to make the rocks work out, though! lol Good stuff! Thanks for sharing...

[@gurdeepkhosa3055]

Great tips Wil, especially what to look out for in that mid ground, focal length and distractions. I've been sitting on a lake image for about 3 months now 😅 and i think this video definitely helped me decide which image to go with. Your last image is tops, that colour gradation is gorgeous🤙🏼

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Good stuff mate, so stoked to hear that. Appreciate the support! :)

[@theolinol]

Hi William, another great video here and a great shot. Just curious, when you say you won't keep that one, are you pretty ruthless with deleting shots? or do you just mean it doesn't make it onto your portfolio?

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thank you. I just delete them generally. Only even processed them for this video otherwise I wouldn’t have even saved the others. Only keep them if I’m not certain but it’s portfolio or nothing basically.

[@mafinspirations1091]

Hey William. When you say Photo stacking, is that you physically moving the camera a bit forward and refocusing and taking the photo..and doing this over 3 or four shots...in prep for the post processing? Am loving the learning journey. Love the beauty in NZ, Im across in Oz in the Blue Mountains. 👋🫶

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thank you. No, focus stacking you don't move the camera, just the focus point. Check out the video I have on focus stacking :)

[@mafinspirations1091]

@@WilliamPatinoPhotography thank you. Ah yes, its moving the focus point to get foreground then mid then background all in focus in prep for uniting the parts in editing. Thanks again. Have a top day. 🙏🙏

[@SaraWC72]

I need to slow down & breathe, I get over excited & think I’m going to miss something 😝

[@lechindianer]

Interesting to see you've dropped the ones with the stones. I would've rather chosen this shot, my eyes keep wandering off to the right in the final selection. Great video and as others already noted: unbelievable how cool you keep at the setting sun with just some minutes left before the fantastic light will be gone!

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

I liked it but my eye just couldn't stand the larger stone on the left. Just too much imbalance for me. It's all subjective though :) Cheers!

[@Eugene-Braack]

Wow... nice results. I am amazed that you shot these images hand-held.... I have to try that. I'm assuming you had image stabilization turned on....?

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Thanks. Yes of course. This is how I always shoot. Imagine trying to get a tripod in and out of those comps 🤮

[@1_Tim]

Another great instructional video. Might be time to switch to Sony for auto focus stacking

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Or the Canon R5

[@1_Tim]

@@WilliamPatinoPhotography Good to know. I have all Canon gear

[@Ricky9Toes]

Love the videos mate. Do you use apps for cloud coverage? I use one called windy here in Australia, but sometimes I find it doesn’t always update quite quick enough, so just wondering if there’s anything better out there

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

I use Windy too along with YR and then just local knowledge of the area, which can’t be understated. The most accurate part of windy is the actual satellite imagery. The forecasting just gives you a ballpark idea.

[@Ricky9Toes]

Awesome mate, thanks heaps, I really appreciate it

[@samajier2566]

Selamat pagi

[@stigfloberghagenphotography]

Nice video. Ha ha the comment on the car keys was familier 😅

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

😁 thanks!

[@rocketmanab]

Nice

[@DoubleB13]

Looks like Te Anau 🙌🏽

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Sure is. It’s where I live :)

[@richardpoland4074]

Hi William, does your camera automaticcally bracket focus, kinda like exposure bracketing? Can you focus stack handheld if you physically have to move the focus point on the camera for each focus point?

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

The A7R5 that i have, along with the Canon R5 and Nikon Z models all have built in focus bracketing, which basically changes the focus point for you and fires off the exposures in succession. You can do it fine without this feature, which is what I've had to do for many years prior to these later models being released. Bit hard to type out the technique I use but it is in older videos and come of my online tutorials. The easiest way handheld is to put it in manual focus and adjust the focus ring all the way to one end, shoot, adjust the ring, shoot, adjust the ring, shoot etc.

[@richardpoland4074]

I thought you must have focus bracketed since didn't look like you were adjusting focus point while shooting. I have a Sony a7ii and it doesn't have that but going to upgrade within 6 months or so. Looking at a7R4 or A7R5. I hope to have it next year for the workshop with you.😊 Looking forward to meeting you and learning from you. I'll probably book something in a couple of months after I pay off my upcoming trip in August to Spain and Portugal .

[@isotechimages.9130]

I get that you are the No Tripod photographer but do you think these shots would look better at 4 or 5 seconds or do you prefer some texture in the water?

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

I prefer texture, as it looks more natural and now the eye views the scene. 4-5 seconds would also be a bit tricky with the plants in the front, which no doubt would move slightly. But yeah, in short I prefer the texture. It’s completely possible handheld, it just involves shooting the frames at the current speed, then one at 4 secs for the water and doing an exposure blend in post.

[@iancarvell2519]

How do you manage to keep your images so sharp, whilst hand holding and not using a tripod?

[@Maikl2811]

I prefer the time before sunrise and after sunset.

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

fair enough :)

[@farmanjamali961]

I want to come to New Zealand. Can you help me?

[@Skipp28TN]

I take sunset pics on a jetski. Aka unstable surface. Great shots but iOS and lense flairs are the issue

[@raymika2804]

What aperture do you normally use and iso 100?

[@WilliamPatinoPhotography]

Aperture depends on focal length, composition and distance to the foreground. If I'm on a wide angle and close to foreground, it will be somewhere around f/11 but as you see in this video, I had to focus stack anyways because a single exposure wasn't enough to get the whole scene sharp because I was so close to the foreground. ISO preferably low, 100-200.