Photography Tips for Sunsets

Who doesn’t love a beautiful shot of a sunset? You’re guaranteed a gorgeous view, even if your pictures don’t come out quiet as well as the real thing. If you’re looking to capture this moment, here’s some helpful advice for your SLR cameras and don’t forget to pack a tripod as part of your photography equipment!

First, plan ahead. Find out the exact time of sunset so you have plenty of time to setup and pick the perfect location. Also follow the weather. Clear skies are great, but slightly cloudy can produce a nice view as well.

Shoot at a variety of different focal lengths. A wide angle will capture a nice landscape, but if you want the sun to be the focal point, you’ll need to zoom in.

The picture will look best with another point of interest. Silhouettes of a mountain range, a person, or a sailboat will add context to the photograph.

Don’t go for auto and change the exposure. Auto-mode will most likely under expose the shot so play around with different apertures and shutter speeds. There is no “right” setting, so try different settings.

Lastly, get out of the white balance mode. Use something warmer like “cloudy” or “shady” which will intensify orange and yellow colors.