Cullen Bay Sunset, Darwin
Sunset over Cullen Bay, Darwin
Cullen Bay is one of the best locations in Darwin for a sunset view. Here's how to photograph a Cullen Bay sunset.
I made this photo from the balcony at the Cullen Bay Resort, where I was staying at the time.
It’s a very descriptive photo showcasing the various shops and restaurants at the Cullen Bay Marina set against a spectacular sunset.
As you can see by photographing from an elevated position I was able to include the maximum amount of information possible in the image.
Tips for Great Sunset Photos
If you’d like to make photos from your hotel room at sunset make sure your room has a balcony and that you’re at least several floors above ground level.
The higher you get the less likely it is that surrounding buildings will obstruct your view.
In the case of architecture photography or photojournalism those buildings might be helpful as they add context to the story you’re trying to tell.
But when it comes to landscape based photos you’re more than likely going to want to concentrate your composition on natural elements such as sky, water and beach.
In this case I wanted to make an image that described the environment around Cullen Bay. That meant including the buildings around the marina and, as it was sunset, a good deal of sky.
I opted for an aperture of f/11 for optimal image sharpness and to provide me with a large depth of field.
Technical Problems Photographing the Sunset
It’s impossible for a camera to record the world the way we perceive it, particularly when photographing a scene with such a high dynamic range.
In this case the buildings are, for the most part, backlit by a much brighter sky. Under normal circumstances that would cause the buildings to render quite dark, even black.
It’s how silhouette photos are created. Which is great, assuming you want your subject to record black.
To ensure sufficient brightness and detail was recorded in the foreground buildings I opted for a High Dynamic Range (i.e., HDR) workflow.
In this case the scene brightness range between the brightest parts of the sky and the darkest trees was so significant that I chose a 9 image HDR sequence.
I made a series of exposures ranging, at one stop intervals, from 1/250 down to a 1-second exposure time.
Fortunately it was a very still evening, which made it easier combining the 9 individual exposures together on the desktop into the HDR composite exposure.
While I still prefer working at an ISO of 100 I settled on ISO 400 to minimize movement in the clouds and palm trees during the longer exposure times in the series.
If I'd opted for ISO 100 then the 1-second exposure would have been 4-seconds.
Because of movement in clouds and trees that would likely have caused problems registering all 9 images together into the single composite HDR exposure.
A Wild And Beautiful Adventure
This was my third visit to Darwin and Kadadu National Park.
As it was late in the wet season my intention was to photograph thunderstorms in Darwin, thus the need for a room with a balcony, as well as crocodiles in Kakadu.
While I enjoyed photographing some Darwin sunsets the evening thunderstorms occurred while I was in Kakadu, in a ground floor room with no view to speak of.
Nonetheless it was exciting. Several hours during my first night at the excellent Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel, in the small town of Jabiru, were spent largely in darkness as a storm cut power to the hotel.
But it was a simple matter of heading into the restaurant where candles, cold beer and pleasant hotel staff made for a relaxing evening.
Rain Of Biblical Proportions
The second night was also eventful. I was down at the local lake, where they’d just pulled a crocodile out a few days earlier, for sunset when the rain came down like there would be no tomorrow.
This short video, made with my iPhone, illustrates just how heavy the rain became.
It was only about 2 kms back to the hotel, but it must have taken me 15 minutes in the car to get there.
I noticed a local lass, stranded outside the hotel entrance, after heading out for a run just before the clouds burst. Even she was surprised by the severity of the downpour.
I drove her home and headed back to the hotel, this time avoiding a tree that had fallen onto the road just minutes before.
When traveling I always purchase travel insurance. These days I purchase my travel insurance through World Nomads.
Australia’s Top End is an amazing part of the world. It’s wild, scenic and not without danger. Be prepared, dress appropriately and keep yourself well hydrated.
It’s not the sort of environment where you’d want to take unnecessary risks. If in doubt consider signing up for a tour with a locally operated guide.
This should allow you to enjoy the awesome wildlife and spectacular landscapes in relative safety.
