Whether you’re shooting with your DSLR or your iPhone, sunsets are definitely a popular photographic subject! Most people shoot sunsets when they are away on vacation or holiday, or when they are travelling, but don’t forget you can get some great sunset shots wherever you live! With a little bit of planning and our photography tips for shooting sunsets you’ll be shooting beautiful sunsets wherever you are. What makes a good sunset photograph is difficult to say, but for most it is the feeling that is evoked when they see it, whether it be a sense of tranquillity, or serenity but for most it’s the feeling that they could step right into that photo and feel instantly relaxed. So first off, remember that you’re trying to evoke a feeling with a sunset photo – keep that in mind and you’re off to a good start. 

<h4>Forward Planning</h4> 

Most people shoot sunsets spontaneously, and while this does often get good results, a bit of planning ahead can ensure you get some awesome shots. Take a look around you and find some places that you think might get nice shots. Look not only for places where you can see the sun track all the way down, but also places that may provide for elements in the foreground and middle ground of your shot. Look for interesting shapes, trees, buildings, etc to provide silhouettes for your photo. 

Also consider what equipment you might need before hand, a tripod is always a great idea for sunset photos, but if you’re shooting with an iPhone a good sturdy rock or other support will do. If you’re shooting with your DSLR, be sure to take a couple of different lenses, a wide angle or a zoom lens with different focal lengths is ideal…just take what you have and make the most of it when you get there. 

Make note of what time the sun sets, and plan to be there about half an hour before, so you can get set up. It is usually the twenty minutes before, and twenty minutes after the sun disappears when the light is best for shooting…don’t stop shooting just because the sun is gone! 

<h4>Composition</h4>

You can use a variety of different objects as focal points for your shot, as we mentioned above silhouettes are a great point of interest, but don’t forget that the sun can also be a good focal point in an of itself. A silhouette could be anything from a boat on the water, a pier or people, to various parts of the landscape including mountains, trees, buildings, or islands. Don’t forget that clouds can also be part of the composition! 

Use the rule of thirds when you need to fall back on a few composition tricks to make the most of what you’re shooting, but on the other hand don’t be afraid to try something new while you shoot. Rules are made to be broken. 

<Shooting 

Take lots of shots, from lots of different angles and focal points. In some cases you may be physically limited by the landscape, for instance if you’re shooting on the shore, but if you don’t have a zoom lens then you can physically walk closer and further away to get a different perspective. 

Shoot at different exposures. You can do this with both a DSLR or an iPhone – when using a DSLR try shooting in shutter priority mode and start with a very fast shutter moving slower and slower. As the shutter speed gets slower you will be more and more likely to need a tripod. If you’re shooting with an iPhone tap the viewfinder to set the exposure, to reset for a different exposure tap in a different place! Easy! 

Our last tip for shooting is to change your white balance out of “auto” into “cloudy” or “shade”. Both cloudy and shade will give you much warmer results, which is usually preferable when shooting the sun. If you leave your camera in auto white balance, you run the risk of altering that special warmth and glow you’re trying to achieve. If you’re shooting with an iPhone then why not try shooting in an app like Almost DSLR or editing your photo in an app like Photo Forge 2, where you’ll get good results by adjusting the white balance. 

Finally…if you don’t get good shots one night, try again the next night! It’s not an exact science, sometimes it comes together and other times it doesn’t…just have fun, you’re on vacation after all. 
