Santorini at Twilight...

Santorini is a most magical place. In the village of Oia, the sunsets will take your breath away, but it's twilight that captures my heart. The whitewashed architecture is uniquely beautiful, built into the sheer volcanic cliffs. You can see some of the older cave style structures in the foreground. Hundreds of people flock to watch sunset which is amazing from almost every vantage point. After sunset, people leave, everything quiets down, the light starts to get interesting, this is my favorite time to make pictures.

For long exposures such as this one, you'll need a tripod and cable release (or use the self timer feature in your camera). A small aperture creates starbursts with any pinpoints of light in the composition. Choose a white balance that artistically accentuates the scene, I often start by dialing in 4000K. Most optimization was done in Adobe Camera Raw, with a few finishing touches with Nik Viveza. You can use promotional code DSANDIDGE for all Nik products including the outstanding new Color Efex Pro 4. Enjoy shooting after sunset! ~ Deb