Sunsets (and sunrises) are an inspiration to any nature
photographer, professional or beginner alike. In fact, this
does not just apply to nature photographers; almost anybody
with a camera is likely to snap off a few shots when faced
with a brilliant sunset sky.
The great news is, good sunset photos are surprisingly easy
to take. In my gallery, I don't actually display many
sunset photographs. You see, they are hard to sell, because
almost everybody has a few great sunsets they have
photographed themselves. Rather than buy mine, they are
more likely to grab their camera and show me the picture
they took the night before!
Consequently, I see a lot of sunset photos by amateur
photographers, and have learned to quickly spot where they
have gone wrong. It is not hard to expose a sunset photo;
in many cases you can leave your camera on auto and it will
do the work for you. The trouble people have is in making
an interesting composition. It is not good enough just to
photograph a good sky. The challenge is in making that sky
part of an interesting photograph.
Here are my five tips for taking great sunset (and sunrise)
photos.
Sunset Photography Tip #1. Learn to predict a good sunset
before it happens. Have you ever seen a perfect sky, only
to realise you didn't have your camera handy? In the five
minutes it takes to get your camera and set up for the
photo, the moment has passed. As brilliant as a sunset can
be, the effect may last for only a few minutes, so you need
to be able to choose your location, set up your camera, and
be waiting for the show to start.
Sunset Photography Tip #2. Be patient to get the best
colours. The few minutes as the sun is crossing the horizon
can be spectacular, but it is not the whole story of a
sunset. As the sinking sun lights the clouds from below,
often the richest colours can appear up to half an hour
later. By this time it will be getting quite dark, so be
prepared with your tripod. You may be shooting exposures of
half a second or more to bring out the best in your sunset
photograph.
Sunset Photography Tip #3. Find a good foreground subject.
This may be the most important tip of all. Time after time
people show me their sunset photos, and all I can think is
"Great sky...pity you didn't make a better photo out of
it." We have all seen and photographed spectacular skies,
so that alone is not enough to create your work of art. Try
to identify some object that stands well above the horizon
(trees, windmills, buildings, power-lines) and has a shape
that will create a good silhouette. It doesn't have to fill
up your picture. In fact, it may only take up a small area
- that will only make the sky seem even more impressive.
The important thing is to give your picture a focal point,
so that your viewer has something more interesting to look
at than just a great sky.
Think back to my tip #1. To get a great photo you need to
be prepared in advance, so scout your location for a good
foreground well before the razzle-dazzle gets underway.
Sunset Photography Tip #4. Fill your photo with colour. You
have probably heard of the 'rule of thirds' in landscape
photography. In simple terms this rule suggests your
horizon should be a third of the way from the top, or from
the bottom, of your photo to create a balanced composition.
The trouble is, when you are photographing into the sunset,
everything in the foreground will be in silhouette. That
means that by following the rule of thirds, a large part of
your picture will be completely black. This is one
situation where you can ignore the rule of thirds. By
allowing your sky to dominate the composition, you fill
your picture with colour and draw even more attention to
the richness of the sunset.
Sunset Photography Tip #5. If near water, use it to enhance
the effect. People often see a sunset at the beach, or by a
river, and stand a long way back to get their shot. This
does not take full advantage of the reflections on the
water, and instead of a colourful foreground there will
again be too much black space.
Get right down to the water's edge or to the wet sand on
the beach. By capturing the reflections, your foreground
will echo the colour of the sky. Not only will your photo
be more colourful, but you will start to spot opportunities
for much more interesting compositions.
So there you have my simple tips on sunset photography.
Notice that I have concentrated on creativity, not
technology. As I said at the beginning, exposing a good
sunset photo is not difficult; the challenge is to make
your photo stand out from the rest. Like all good nature
photography, your sensitivity to nature is far more
important than technical expertise. Be inspired by nature,
and great photography will follow. Good luck!
----------------------------------------------------
If you found these tips helpful, Andrew Goodall has
released two top-selling ebooks that have already helped
thousands of new photographers learn the art and skills of
nature photography. See Andrew's images and ebooks at
http://www.naturesimage.com.au
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