EnfocarPhotography
FollowDusk over the city. Merida, Mexico.
Dusk over the city. Merida, Mexico.
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in the city of Merida in Mexico. I was part way through an eight month backpacking trip through the US, Central America and Mexico. Every new place I visited presented a host of new photographic opportunities.Time
It was dusk and the sun was setting slowly over the city. From where I stood though it looked as if night had already come and the final colours of the sunset were only visible at the end of the street. It didn't take long before the city was in darkness.Lighting
The lighting in this shot is 100% natural. I only had the setting sun and street lights to work with!Equipment
This photo was taken with a Canon Powershot D20. No flash was used and I took a couple of shots from different angles in the street (nearly getting run over a couple of times!) before getting this shot. As I hadn't specifically gone out to take photo's, my DSLR was back in my hotel and I only had my little digital camera on me. Aperture: f/3.9 ISO: 1600 Exposure: 1/15 Focal Length: 5000/1000.Inspiration
My hotel was quite a few blocks from the main downtown area of Merida. So trying to organise myself I headed out to get some food for dinner. The markets were really busy and it took me longer than expected and by the time I started walking back the sun had set. When travelling I usually don't wander the streets near or after dark but when I saw this image in front of me I had to stop and try to capture it. It was totally spontaneous and was not a planned photo excursion but sometimes nature just throws beauty at you when you least expect it!Editing
The only post processing I did was darken the shadows around the buildings in the forefront of the photo. I don't use Photoshop or Lightroom so my post processing is always very minimal. I like to keep my shots as close to the original as possible because thats how I saw the shot and I want to try and show people exactly what it was that I saw.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon 450D with both the standard lens (with a fisheye/macro attachment) and zoom lens, my Canon Powershot D20, a GorillaPod tripod and of course my trusty iPhone. I have just invested in a lens kit for my phone which I find more practical for my live music photography as it's not bulky when you are standing in a crowd of people. I like to use all three cameras as I find it can give different perspectives to each photo.Feedback
Sunsets are always beautiful to capture but this picture goes to show that you don't need to be by the beach or out in the wilderness to capture a perfect sunset. Experiment in your city with different stages of the sunset. The aftermath of colours in the sky coupled with city lights can be a magnificent effect. I was completely lucky to get this shot as it was unplanned but it has opened me up to a whole new concept of sunset/city photography.