Sunset Canvas, a photo from Aklan, Western Visayas

Photographer's Note

This is for Eric a.k.a "eleparc":

I have been talking about taking hundreds of sunset shots in Boracay Island enough to last me a lifetime. Here's one of them.

After two years, I came went back to this island and was surprised to see how the place has changed. There were too many resorts and tourists were everywhere. But what surprised me most was the fact that the day I took this shot, there were over a hundred Korean newly-wed couples on their honeymoon. I thought Thailand was their favorite destination. After the tsunami, Philippines became a stiff competitor. Boracay was at a rich receiving end.

It was good for me (at least that day) because they were out there basking under the golden cast of the Boracay sunset. I had a grand time capturing their silhouettes.

I need opinion as to which one is a better shot. I posted today at treklens another Boracay sunset . Your comment will be greatly appreciated as I need to submit only one for a competition.

To Eric, I hope your "blues" will get transformed into a warm, orange glow. Take care, my friend.

Paolo, mlopes, olopez, kingdragon, Albrecht, hispic, ChrisJ, Xalkida, carper, erdna, Fixfocus, Galeota, DAM, nwoehnl, robiuk, DaveMacPhee, Ah_Thong, alford, eleparc, jhm, jbweasle, caliane, Vagabond, tifah, afshinazizi heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

Paolo (41258) 2005-04-18 9:47

Grat sunset Manuel.
color of the sky and the sea is fantastic!
thanks, also ofr the esuastiv note.
ciao

Galmeida (12559) 2005-04-18 9:51

Also a different approach in this post to your usual excelent portrait pictures. Impressive, very well captured in a black and orange-red simphony. A good tribute also for ELEPARC.

Very well done!!!
Congratulations.
Fernando

mlopes (494) 2005-04-18 9:51

Manuel, this is beautiful (as usual). The golden colours and silhuetes are perfect!

In my opinion, the shot that you posted in TN is the better of the two, but it was a hassle to decide myself ;)

Good luck
Mário

olopez (4959) 2005-04-18 10:03

I don't know why, but i prefer this one.

I will consider it when I marry ;)
Regards,
Oscar

kingdragon (445) 2005-04-18 10:08

excellent red colours @ sunset
maybe u can make the compositon better if u can take all of the hull to the composition.

verge (1242) 2005-04-18 10:23

excellent silhouette photo with soft tone color and a sharp reflection on the shore, well done.....rgds

verge

Albrecht (11283) 2005-04-18 10:25

Hi Manuel
A great composition. These sunsets always are beautiful but this one is very good and detaild. Great colours. Well done, regards Albrecht

MoosicMan (1231) 2005-04-18 10:32

Manny,
A wonderful shot. I love those shapes of the sails, and the exposure is just right. What shutter speed and aperture settings? Good work,
Matt

Luko (14000) 2005-04-18 10:38

Excellent scene that I prefer to view as a beachside regatta scene under a seting sun than just a plain sunset.

Really nice exposure work but I specially praise how you managed to split your image with the sun and sun reflection. it really makes a separation even within the group of people, like there was one giver supplying numerous takers.

Emile (20352) 2005-04-18 10:59

Manuel I prefer the pic posted in Treklens. Unfortunately I'm not a member so I have to give you my opinion on this side.
This pic here is a excellent pic but it looks more crowded. In the TL pic the reflection of the sun on the sea and the sand is much better composed. The other one present more delicate colors.
Remember I'm just an amateur photographer.
Hope you will choose the correct one.
Good luck.

Xalkida (11744) 2005-04-18 11:16

Excellent colors Manuel! I like the lighting and the black shapes of the people! Excellent!

ndb1958 (9289) 2005-04-18 11:33

I like most this ... or the other ... or this ... or the other ...

I'm not able to decide. Both are wonderful. I never saw such a beautiful sunset for real.

Great shot. Indeed you're right: for your photo it was good to have the peoples silhouettes.

carper (96) 2005-04-18 11:35

very good one Manuel,
I like the good composition, the very good point of view, the fantastic colours, the super siloets, very good job you did here,
gr. Jaap

erdna (5713) 2005-04-18 12:15

Manny, I prefer the "another Boracay Sunset" because it is less busy and the reflection is true. I have studied reflections in architectural perspective and the reflection of the sun on this photo should be relocated to be believable. The distance of the sun from the horizon shall always be the same distance from the horizon to the reflected sun. you must have had problems with all those boats sailing around.

danyy (0) 2005-04-18 12:17

Superbe Manuel,
les qualificatifs manquent pour définir et qualifier cette beauté numérique colorée comme dans un rêve.
Couleurs splendides.
Daniel.

tityop (6225) 2005-04-18 12:25

Bonjour Manuel,
Subtil jeux entre la lumiere et ces ombres chinoises. J'aime beaucoup ces couleurs chaudes, la reflexion du soleil sur la plage est vraiment tres jolie, un paysage exceptionnel pour passer une lune de miel. Compliments !!
Amicalement Thierry

AmiBe (6042) 2005-04-18 12:28

Oh, unusual picture from you !
It's still a great one !
The boats silhouettes are very nice, the exposure and colors are perfect. Well done.

Fixfocus (9385) 2005-04-18 12:40

I guess there are thousands of sunsets on TE,-but this one is for shure very special!Excellent compo with the silhouettes of the people and sailboats.The reflections on the wet beach are beautiful.
A wonderful capture,Manny!

miss_bibi12 (68) 2005-04-18 13:32

Hello!

This is really a great picture!! I love the colours which really bring out a warm vibe to the picture! Also, I must say that I think that your composition is great: every element seems to be at the right place!

Galeota (10352) 2005-04-18 13:39

What a beautiful photograph Manuel. The dark silhouettes on the orange background, makes almost a scene of a chinese shadow theatre. I see you know post rarely a photograph in TE, but each time you pass by it is a feast. Welcome back then! :o)

DAM (153) 2005-04-18 13:48

Manuel, I rather like this one better as they look more relaxed the other one they looked too much as a planned pose even though it is not the case. If this is a taste of what is yet to come...then I am ready. Nice capture, exquisit.
DAM

summersun (4978) 2005-04-18 13:58

the boats and the human silhouettes add energy to this sunset image. the colors are stunning. I like the reflection of the sun in the sand. well captured.
Vanessa

nwoehnl (122) 2005-04-18 14:14

Great result you got, Manny. The full sun reflection on the wet beach, and the double use of repetitive silhouettes from the boats and people is brilliantly utilized. Needless to say, the color setting is wonderful.

It's a tough call as far as which one to prefer - I like the composition of the one on TL much better, while in this one the graphical impact from the repetition of triangular sails may be higher.

sines (0) 2005-04-18 15:14 [Comment]

Show Comment

Graal (103040) 2005-04-18 15:40

Hi Manuel!
Great shot. Beautiful sunset. I like the dark silhuettes on the background of sky. Nice reflections, too. Well done.
Regards,
Aleksander

robiuk (10807) 2005-04-18 16:07

Hello Manuel,
I like this one better as because it seems there's more green tones in it than in the one posted on TL.
Th eonly thing I like better on the other one is the composition.
But both represent fine coloured and warm sunset with active beach life.
Thanks,
Robi

alimo3 (6854) 2005-04-18 16:44

hello Manuel,
a lots of beauty for this sunset !
nice composition with those shadows,
gorgeous fire colors.

Tom

camilabessa (114) 2005-04-18 20:26

wow... this pic is very beautiful! Was it changed by photoshop? I never saw a sunset so orange like this! Well done :)

DaveMacPhee (1140) 2005-04-18 22:43

Fantastic manny,
I won't bother wasting you time by telling you how technically fantastic this shot is. But I will tell you that I like this one better than the other one just because it has more action. More is going on and the frame is filled more with interesting sillouettes. That fact that the man is bringing something to shore just more it a more interesting shot. Though I do think that the fishing boat in the other shot makes a very interesting sillouette.

kclai (2267) 2005-04-19 0:20

Hi Manny
Nice composition with strong orangy effects plus the boats which added the into the photo completed the task.
Brovo.
Eric Lai

Ah_Thong (466) 2005-04-19 0:53

great photo there manny... the colors and contrasts works really well here.. wonderfull..simply amazing

alford (4063) 2005-04-19 3:04

Ha! Finally, a seascape shot from you! The colors and silhouettes are what captured my attention. A shot full of actions with the people and sailboats in the background. Very nice work! rgds.

Zepi (22848) 2005-04-19 3:25

Hello Manuel,

Ca fait drôle de vous voir poster autre chose que des portraits !
Quelle belle surprise, magnifique composition !
J’adore cette lumière brûlante du soir !
Magnifique ces personnes dans l’ombre !
Vous savez tout photographier mon cher Manny !
Très beau travail !
Amicalement
Sébastien

PixelTerror (0) 2005-04-19 3:41

Hi Manuel,
This is a very attractive sunset composition that adds a lively scene to the traditional warm sunset effects. I like also the effect of the red colors on the wet sand, very nice result !
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

jrj (34843) 2005-04-19 3:57

Hi Manny
Of the two very sunsetting moods I think this one is better by a little stronger contrast and use of light. For me the closer cropping is also better in this edition. The sun also reflected in full at the beach is a nice detail.
Good luck in the competition

ChrisJ (172442) 2005-04-19 4:54

Hi Manuel

Superb graphism & silhouettes in this stunning sunset. Wonderful color & sharpness. This is the better of the 2 images. The repetition of all the triangular sails' silhouettes, makes the shot, imho. Well done!

webtweakers (64) 2005-04-19 5:00

Nice to see one of those from you: sunsets. I'd go for this one for the compo: it's a tiny bit brighter and the sails of the boats add to the composition. Nice stuff.

naxius (16685) 2005-04-19 6:12

Hello Manny,
Very good photograph and you are definitely an ecxellent photographer in all domain ;o
I like the colors and obviously the light.
A great work.
Bravo!
Alexandre

Cos (1562) 2005-04-19 10:12

Hi Manuel,
This is a fabulous sunset shot. I love the silhouttes - the boats add so much interest to the shot, and the reflection of the sun on the wet sand is excellent. Well done.
I prefer this one to the one on TL
Regards, Sarah

Mafo (1339) 2005-04-19 16:59

Excelent photo Manuel, nice composition, nice colors, good framing, nice sunset!
Regards, thank you!

faubry (35447) 2005-04-19 18:56

really you are a artist, you take all, landscape, portriat, sea, great "bravo", i like all your pictures, and it's will be you write a book with your pictures!!!
great thanks for partage
francine

rbcy1974 (20758) 2005-04-20 5:06

Hi Manny, amazing picture. I prefer the one you have posted here, maybe its a matter of the position of the sun and the people, I dont know.
Regards
Daniel

jrzufferey (7305) 2005-04-20 10:52

Contre jour exceptionnel. cette presque monochromie avec l'image fantôme des homme et des bateaux, c'est merveilleux. Amicalement/jr

eleparc (24063) 2005-04-20 12:15

thank you Manny for your comforting post;-) and your friendly thought for me;-) i am feeling much better now and my blues has turned into a golden smile, thanks to you..;-)

Other than that, it is indeed a very nice sunset shot. i envy you i am stuck in my office for quite some time, i am afraid...
thanks again a million!

Eric

toni_al (15875) 2005-04-20 17:17

Wonderful sunset. Beautiful colours and silhouettes. Just perfect.
Toni

kozerog (1288) 2005-04-21 11:57

Yes, I can look and look at it, do not turning away my eyes. So beautiful.

jhm (211738) 2005-04-21 12:54

Hi Manuel,
I like of the great contrast between the dark people, and the very beautiful sunset also the splendid sun beam and reflection.
Thanks for visiting,
John

jbweasle (9393) 2005-04-21 14:45

Manuel, this is superb. Fabulous colour and wonderful, detailed sihouettes. The composition is excellent with the positioning of the boats on the left and right framing the shot. The reflection of the sun is perfect and draws the eye immediately to the focus of the picture - the point where one person is about to pass something to the other.

caliane (610) 2005-05-02 19:53

Hi Manuel, this time you are right.. with such a beautiful view for a sunset it's almost impossible not taking a photograph to register such beauty..hehe

Michael (277) 2005-05-04 7:57

Probably one of the most beautiful sunset shot I've seen on TE, well composed with backlighting on the boats and peoples.
Good light and exposure.
Well done

srabbe (1424) 2005-05-10 13:07

Hello Manuel,
This sunset is magical, with such pink and orange colours. The silouhettes of the people and the sails are wonderful.
Congratulations
Sophie

Propofol (1790) 2005-05-17 7:17

Wow. Bravo.

wmoraga (319) 2005-09-08 0:00

another amazing photo! Complimentary in many aspects, motion and stillness & with colors very fiery yet so peaceful.
I prefer this than the other.

jjcordier (79299) 2005-12-15 1:07

Very nice shot, Manuel.I prefer this one because it has more action.This is a good sunset shot
Congratulations
JJ

fmfelman (118) 2006-01-15 19:33

Manny, as always, another beautiful shot. The color is magical. The sailboats are wonderful. It looks like a photo from another time, although I am well aware that this is life in the Philippines today from my own experience living there. Thanks for sharing.

svo555 (1028) 2006-02-08 17:11

Hi Manuel!
Impressive colors with good lighting and composition!
Well done!
Sergi

telthebell (710) 2006-02-08 17:16

Fantastic capture well done,I love the strong silhouettes

Vagabond (5848) 2006-02-08 17:26

Wonderful picture. Congratulations ..

Dr_Nibbles (287) 2006-02-08 17:41

Very cool colours and very living shot... I like both of your photos, but this one a lot better.

anibal1285 (142) 2006-05-08 21:49

Excelente composicion, perfecta luz, las figuras humanas casi como sombra asi como lo heromoso de los colores en conjunto crean una sensacion casi irreal. EXCELENTE.

keribar (43841) 2006-07-09 3:38

Hello Manuel,

I had not spotted this one before, and it is one of the best sunsets in TE for sure. The silhouettes are simply amazing. Congratulations for this prize-winner

batalay (41261) 2006-09-06 21:00

Manny,

What a magnificent sunset-- beautifully framed composition and rich colors. Congratulations on capturing that rare moment of teeming humanity, the equilateral triangles that the sails make, and nature at its best.

marietom (34611) 2006-11-21 16:39

magnifique !
Je pense que tout a été dit...
Bravo !
Marie

tifah (836) 2006-11-22 1:19

your photos are very inspirational, they really show an interesting side to the earth and how we live on it. the colours in this sunset are fantastic and it gives me the sense of the day coming to the end and the summer fnishing with all its memories and new friendships made, thanks.

picardo (2459) 2006-12-22 6:27

Hola Manuel... otra de tus excelente fotos!... imprecionante!. Creo que no hay mas nada para decir excepto: Excelente trabajo
TFS
Picardo

MarieAnge (524) 2007-02-18 15:43

Hello Manuel,

I cannot add anything more here, everything has been said !... ;-). Excellent shot. Thanks.

toto (0) 2007-08-24 1:26

Belle photo de ce ce coucher de soleil magnifique, avec les reflets sur la mer et sur le sable.Ces bateaux superbes et bien placés sont très jolis et donnent une autre beauté a la scène. Amitiés Thomas
je reviens

TomekWalkiewicz (233) 2008-01-20 5:10

great, great, great...colours and motiv!

Wandering_Dan (3449) 2008-03-03 9:07

Hello, Manuel -

This is a GORGEOUS shot, and one of the few I've seen shooting directly at the sun without blowing it out. Great lines, balance and use of silhouette, too. The only thing I would have liked to see different is the top of the foreground boat.

Regards,
Dan

lu_muratori (618) 2008-04-19 3:17

Stunning colors and great composition.
Well done,
Regards,
Luci

erel (11890) 2008-04-19 3:49

merhaba
SÜPER... BRAVOOOOOOOOOO...EREL

afshinazizi (6) 2009-03-03 1:04

Hi Manuel

Glamour and sensetive sunset . The mood is perfect and colors are made it really fantastic.The kids are made it really attractive.Well done photography.

TFS

Afshin

balmikib (251) 2009-03-31 2:54

hi manuel!!

great play of orange hues and the silhouettes which adds to the composition.

i also have a nikon d-70, but am not able to capture these colours in my sunset shots. could you please let me know what camera settings you use in terms of aperture, shutter speed,exposure value,colour balance and exposure?

oko (239) 2009-09-21 5:56

Hi Manuel,

You are probably not looking for the answer to your question almost 5 years later, but this is in my opinion a much better shot than the other one since it caputres the messiness of these beautiful insect-like sailboats since they are all over the picture.