How to Shoot Absolutely Stunning Sunsets

Sunsets are truly amazing expressions of beauty and colors that can be captured in a digital photograph with the right equipment and techniques.

by David Glassanos

Whether it’s the warm tones that attract people, or the fact that every sunset is unique, people love looking at sunsets. Here’s a checklist for those of you who are interested in capturing these great natural wonders with a digital camera.

Know when the sun is going to set. This is the number one thing to remember when shooting sunsets. I guarantee you will not get a good picture if you show up once the sun is below the horizon. Keep in mind any landscapes that will affect the time of the sunset. If the sun is going to be setting behind a mountain range then anticipate the sun to drop below the horizon a few minutes before the sun actually sets.

Set the exposure and compose the picture in your digital camera well before the sun actually sets. Give yourself at least half an hour before the time the sun will set to get your digital camera and tripod ready. Play around with the composition and try different angles while the sun is still in the sky. Look for objects, buildings, or landmarks that will create interesting silhouettes with the sun behind them. Exposure is a little harder. You will not know the exact exposure until the sun has actually set but you can have an idea of the exposure values that will look best. Play around with the exposure on your digital camera until you get something you like.

Take as many shots as you can. A sunset is a dynamic scene and is always changing. I recommend taking a couple pictures every minute on your digital camera. Each picture will be different from the one before.

Use a tripod. Sure, you can still digital photograph a sunset while holding your digital camera but using a tripod will allow you to take longer exposures while eliminating camera shake. A sunset is considered a landscape so stop down your aperture as much as you can. Try something like f/22 or higher. This will increase the depth of field, putting the whole scene in focus. The smaller aperture will increase the shutter length, giving you richer and warmer colors.

Try to include clouds in your composition. Someone once told me that amazing sunset photos almost always include clouds. Take a look for yourself. Almost every beautiful digital photo of a sunset you see will have clouds in the frame. This is because clouds are dramatic. They invoke emotion. If you want great sunsets, look for clouds.

Make sure the sky is the most dominant part of the digital photo. Sounds obvious, but what good is a photo of a sunset where two-thirds of the photo is the ground and only one-third is the sky. The sky is the main subject of the picture so emphasize it.

Work fast. The sunset will be over before you know it. Your timeframe will be about 10 minutes or less so it is good to know how your digital camera works before you get to the scene. The more sunsets you photograph the quicker you will become so if you have free time during the evening go take some pictures!

Wear sunglasses! Always remember not to look directly into the sun. You can cause severe eye damage by looking directly into the sun whether it’s with your naked eye or through the viewfinder. You have an LCD for a reason…use it.

Well there you have it, some tips for taking great sunset photographs. Just remember, the more you go out and practice the better your shots will become.


About the Author: David Glassanos runs the photography magazine at PhotographedBy.us