Sunset Photography

I enjoy the desert as long as it is not summertime.  In Arizona we have two flower seasons one in the spring and a smaller one in the summer from the monsoon.  I find that the best time to be out there is just after sunrise and just before sunset.  Both times give different lighting on the valley floor and the plants.  The best way to really see the desert is on hiking trails because I am able to get to much better scenery and formations.  I have also found that sunsets are best after the sun has been down about 10 minutes.

Capturing the images

When out there looking for landscapes to photograph, I try to pick idea conditions in the sky, the lighting, and other factors.   I will almost always use my full frame camera and the Canon 24-70 F/2.8 ii is the favorite.   The canon 100-400 F/4-5.6 ii telephoto makes some very nice landscapes in the desert depending how the landscape is shaped.  Although there is usually enough light I still prefer a tripod when framing a shot.  Even when hiking I carry a small one in case it is needed.

Post Processing

I use Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop to do my post processing.   I spend most of the time in Lightroom Classic and move to Photoshop as needed.  There are a few plugins I used to help in Photoshop which include Luminar 4 and Noiseware.    I always use what is called a smart object in Photoshop before using filters so I can use a mask to only allow what was needed by the filter.  I find that plugins do more than what is needed and the smart object controls that.