Sunset and Sunrise Photography

Thira Sunset with Boats. Taken in Santorini, Greece. July 1, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500.

def: images that are captures in the distinct light of sunrises or sunsets, often utilizing silhouettes and other objects to make compositions more interesting.


Techniques:
- It’s best usually to stake out good places where there is good color, where you can’t see the sun track all the way down or where you have good foreground elements for silhouettes.
- Weather can add an interesting element. Clear skies produce good color (left two photographs) but often sunsets are best with clouds in the skies or even dust or smoke.
- It is best to shoot in a variety of focal lengths. Wide angle gives the best if looking for a wide landscape but if you want the sun to be the focus it is best to zoom in.
- Shooting with a wide variety of exposures is good too because most often cameras under expose the image and don’t really capture the light. Shifting to aperture or shutter priority mode can be helpful. Often cameras have a “bracket” exposure, and you can shoot below and above that.
- Auto white balance mode also risks losing color, so use a cloudy or shade mode. Also longer shutter speeds are good with tripods for longer focal lengths.
- Playing around with silhouettes and objects in your sunset images is also good for interesting compositions. When doing this, pay attention to the rule of thirds for placement of objects. 

Sunset. Taken in Clarkesville, Georgia. December 11, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500. 

Cinque Terra Sunset. Taken in Vernazza, taly. June 15, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500. 

ASnopacolypse Sunset. Taken in Clarkesville, Georgia. January 10, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500. 

Venice Canal. Taken in Venice, Italy. June 20, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500.

Famous Oia Sunset. Taken in Santorini, Greece. June 30, 2011. Nikon Coolpix P500.

Citations:


Rowse, D. 12 Tips for Photographing Sunrises and Sunsets. Retrieved from http://www.digital-photogra- phy-school.com/how-to-photograph-sunrises-and-sunsets