7 Sunset Photography Tips

For someone who is a novice in the world of photography, clicking a good photo of a sunset can seem like a complex task.          

Even after you have clicked a few sunset photographs, you might not be able to capture its true essence.

Well, don’t get frustrated. Follow the best sunset photography tips and click all the magical sunsets you want to.

1. Plan ahead.

As magnificent as a sunset looks, it does not last that long. For a great sunset shot, it is important that you plan ahead.

It is best if you already know the area from where you plan to photograph a sunset.

Get there much before time, set up all the required equipment and gear up for a great shot.

This would ensure that when the sun begins to descend, you would be ready to click the photo.    

2. Different focal lengths.

Many photographers around the world use wide-angle lenses while clicking sunsets.

Panoramic sunset photos can be achieved with lenses that fall within the 10-30 mm range.

However, if you want to focus highly on the sun and not much else, then you would need to use a lens of 200 mm or higher.            

3. Use the right camera.

When it comes to sunset photography tips for beginners, this is an important one.

If you are really passionate about clicking photos of breathtaking sunsets, then you can invest in a good camera.

So, which is the best camera for sunset photography? You can get a full-frame mirrorless camera that offers dynamic range.

A dynamic range camera allows you to capture the dark shadows and the bright highlights in a single frame pretty well.

It would make for an awesome photograph of a sunset.      

4. Try different exposures.

The thing about photographing sunsets is that there is no specific exposure. You can experiment with underexposure and overexposure, and get extraordinary results.

While setting up the camera for a sunset photography session, you can fix your camera setting at Manual Mode, Shutter Priority Mode, or Aperture Priority Mode.

For a great sunset shot, the trick is to click numerous shots at different exposures.        
5. The rule of thirds.

While sunset photography settings are important for that perfect photograph of a sunset, there are certain principles or rules that you can adhere to as well.

In order to capture the sunset of your dreams, you can follow the rule of thirds.  

The rule of thirds denotes that in a photograph, the subject is placed in one third of the frame, leaving the other two thirds more open.

While clicking a sunset, you can put the horizon at the top instead of putting it right at the center.      

6. Shoot in RAW.

Many photographers tend to click photographs in JPEG format.

Though JPEG photos may seem convenient to work with, in reality, it is less useful than RAW ones.

JPEG files get compressed. Which means that numerous data pertaining to colour and tone of the photo gets lost.

When it comes to photographs of sunsets, RAW-format photographs may not look that awesome at first.

However, a little bit of editing is all it takes to achieve that desired result.

And for the sunset photographs to be edited properly, it is crucial for all the initial data to be retained. That can happen only with RAW files.

Hence, it is advisable that while shooting sunsets, you set the camera format at RAW.            

7. Use different angles.

While photographing sunsets, most people click from their eye-level’s perspective.

Though these photos look great, after a while, it can become mundane.

So, in order to keep the magic alive, you can try out different angles and perspectives while clicking sunset photos.

Planning to take photos of a sunset soon? Follow the above-mentioned sunset photography tips and capture some of the best sunset photos ever.

FAQs

What is the rule for sunset photography?

When it comes to sunset photography, the rule of thirds comes in handy.

According to this concept, you need to place the horizon or one of the elements you identify as focal points, at one-third of the edge.

In case you want to frame the horizon, make sure that it is straight.

A tipped horizon might end up ruining the photo.

What should be the ISO setting for sunset photography?

For a great sunset photo, the ISO setting could be anywhere between 200-800. It would depend on how much light there is at the time you click the photo of a sunset.            

What is the best time to click photos of a sunset?

The best time for sunset photography is within one or two hours before the sun sets.