Flash Photography Techniques
Sunset Photography Tips – How to Take Good Pictures by Autumn Lockwood
It seems like everybody loves looking at beautiful sunsets, which is probably why sunset photography is such a competitive niche. If you want to take stunning sunset pictures, then here are some some simple techniques you can use to get photos that really stand out.
Sunset Photography Rule #1: Protect your Eyes and Camera
It is dangerous to your eyes and to your camera’s image sensor to point your camera directly at a bright yellow sun. Using an optical zoom or long lens will magnify the sun’s damaging effects. If you want to get a better picture (and play it safe), wait until the sun has fallen below the horizon or is a dark red color.
Sunset Photography Rule #2: Capture the Color
Ever take a beautiful brilliant sunset and then see it on your computer and wonder what happened to the bright colors? Usually the culprit is the camera’s automatic white balance. While your eyes can easily see the brilliant yellows, oranges, magentas and blues of a sunset, the camera’s automatic white balance works to dull down the bright colors to make them look more normal..Here is what you can do to capture the true color:
* If you have manual settings on your camera, turn off the auto white balance and set the white balance to the warm side.
* If your camera has a color lens setting or you are shooting with an SLR or DSLR, try some shots with the red filter selected or attached.
* Using a compact camera that doesn’t have manual settings? The easiest solution is to set your camera to sunset mode. This works for sunrises too. Sunset mode automatically sets the white balance to keep its color balance warm. Sunset mode also helps the camera to automatically use the best focus and exposure (no flash) for this type of picture.
* None of the above? Use Landscape mode or auto, and then use photo editing software to adjust the white balance to reflect the brilliant colors you saw.
* You may also want to play around with different exposure settings on your camera or you can use a photo editor to lighten or darken the tones. Be sure to make changes on copies, not the original!
* Often a slower shutter speed will better capture the sunset; in this case, a tripod may be needed to steady your camera.
Sunset Photography Rule #3: Capture the Best Compositions
* Use basic landscape Photography Techniques and patience to create stunning sunset pictures.
* Not all sunsets make great photos. To get a remarkable sunset photo, you need a remarkable sunset. Clouds almost always make for more dramatic sunsets. These are often found with sunsets over large bodies of water.
* Allow yourself time to watch the sunset and wait for the really beautiful shots.
* Take your sunset photos from vantage points that give you a composition free of clutter, such as power lines and buildings (unless the building is serving as a focal point for your photo).
* Compose your pictures with something in the foreground like a palm tree or boat to give the image context and scale. The sunset will almost always create the silhouettes, thus adding more drama to your sunset photography.
* If the sky is the most important part of the sunset, compose your photo so that 2/3 of it is filled with sky. If the water’s reflection or silhouettes is the most interesting part of the picture, give this 2/3 of the picture’s frame.
* Head to a beach where you’ll find some of the best sunset pictures. Here you can watch the sun set over the horizon and your pictures will have the colorful reflections from the water. Other great places are the prairie or the desert where you can see the horizon and have extra color from the dust in the air.
This is all you need for taking amazing sunset photos so start using these tips and you’ll be amazed at the beautiful sunsets you can capture.
About the Author
Autumn Lockwood loves photography and is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of frames like our floating frames and magnetic picture frames.
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This entry was posted on Friday, February 17th, 2012 at 7:14 pm and is filed under Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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