How to photograph a beautiful sunset

Everyone can enjoy and appreciate a beautiful sunset. And let’s be honest, no matter how cliché it sounds, capturing sunsets is a blast. There’s something incredibly satisfying about photographing the last rays of the day and the golden light bathing the landscape.

Experimenting with different compositions, camera settings, and techniques helped me figure out what works and what doesn’t. Here are some tips I picked up along the way:

Step 1: Clean Your Lens

Dust, dirt, sand, water spots—you name it. When we take our photo gear outside, it gets dirty. The front element of a lens seems to attract dust like a magnet. Point a dirty lens at the sun, and even the tiniest specks of dust will be accentuated in your images. This has happened to me more times than I care to admit. Sure, you can clone out dust spots in post-processing, but a quick cleaning before a shoot can save a lot of time later.

Step 2: Use a Tripod

While you can often get by without a tripod for sunset photography, there are good reasons to use one. Tripods slow you down, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They help you focus on developing a good composition first. Once that’s done, you can concentrate on getting the exposure just right. This is especially helpful in the challenging lighting conditions of a sunset. Plus, as the sun goes down, the light diminishes quickly, and your shutter speed might get too low to hand-hold the camera. A tripod allows for longer shutter speeds without worrying about camera shake.

Step 3: Shoot Wide (Then Zoom In)

For sunset photography, wide, sweeping vistas are typically what you want to capture. A focal length range of 14 mm to roughly 24 mm is a good starting point. Shooting at a wider angle also accentuates the starburst effect for more dramatic sunset images. After getting that wide-angle shot, try switching lenses and zooming in. Experiment with different focal lengths and isolate parts of the scene with the sun in the frame. The only limit is your creativity.

Step 4: Shoot RAW

For sunset photography, it makes a lot of sense to shoot in RAW format. RAW files preserve all the image data and provide much more latitude for editing. This is crucial when shooting high dynamic range scenes like sunsets. If you enjoy post-processing, shooting in RAW is the way to go.

Step 5: Use Aperture Priority Mode

You don’t have to shoot in manual mode to be a “real” photographer. Aperture Priority mode is a good place to start and works well for sunset photography. Set the aperture where you want it, and the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed for the correct exposure. This allows you to focus on the depth of field and achieve effects like the starburst.

Step 6: Set the Aperture to a Large Number

For landscape photography, you generally want everything in focus. This means setting the aperture to a large number, such as f/11, f/13, or f/16. A larger f-number also helps create the starburst effect. Be aware that an f-number larger than f/16 might introduce diffraction, making the image less sharp.

Step 7: Keep the ISO Low

A lower ISO setting usually means less grain and a cleaner image. Set the ISO to the lowest native setting for your camera, usually either 100 or 200. Try to keep it as low as possible to maintain image quality.

Step 8: Keep an Eye on Shutter Speed

With your aperture and ISO set, the last piece of the exposure triangle is shutter speed. If you’re using Aperture Priority mode, your camera will automatically set the shutter speed for you. But it’s still important to monitor it to ensure it doesn’t get too slow for your situation. You might need to increase the shutter speed to avoid motion blur or camera shake, especially if you’re hand-holding the camera.

To increase the shutter speed, you’ll need to adjust one or both of the other exposure settings. Since your aperture is giving you the desired depth-of-field, leave it as is. Instead, increase the ISO to speed up the shutter. For example, if your shutter speed is 1/15th of a second, bumping the ISO from 100 to 200 will make it 1/30th of a second. Doubling the ISO again to 400 will make it 1/60th of a second, assuming the light stays the same. It’s a good idea to zoom in and review your shots on the camera’s LCD to ensure everything you want sharp is indeed sharp.

Step 9: Adjust Exposure Compensation

After taking a few shots, review them on your camera’s LCD and check the histogram. If the exposure isn’t quite right, use exposure compensation to tweak it. If the image looks too dark, add some positive exposure compensation. If it’s too bright, dial in some negative exposure compensation. Play around with it to see what works best.

Some cameras have a dedicated dial for exposure compensation, while others require you to press a button and turn a command dial. Check your camera’s manual to see how it works on your model. Note that exposure compensation works in Aperture Priority mode but not in manual mode. In manual mode, you’ll need to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO independently.

Step 10: Shoot Bracketed Exposures

Sunset photography often involves high dynamic range (HDR) scenes, with a big difference between the brightest and darkest parts of the image. Sometimes, the range is too much for a single shot. If you expose for the bright areas, the shadows might turn black. If you expose for the shadows, the sky might blow out. This is where shooting multiple exposures of the same scene can help.

Most modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have automatic exposure bracketing. Check your manual to see how to set it up. Typically, you’ll shoot three exposures: one correctly exposed, one underexposed, and one overexposed. You can set the amount of under- or over-exposure in-camera. Some cameras allow for 5, 7, or even 9 bracketed exposures, but three is usually enough. After capturing the bracketed shots, you can combine them into a single image using Lightroom’s Photo Merge HDR feature or other HDR software.

For a more advanced technique, you can use luminosity masks in Photoshop to pull out the full dynamic range from the bracketed images. Nick Page’s video training at Improve Photography Plus is a great resource for learning about luminosity masking.

Step 11: Use the LCD to Compose and Shoot

When photographing sunsets, you might need to point your camera directly at the sun. Avoid looking through the viewfinder to protect your eyes. Instead, use the LCD screen to frame your shots. If your camera has a tilting LCD, it’s perfect for getting low-angle shots without lying on the ground. Every camera should have this feature!

Step 12: Be Patient

This isn’t a camera setting, but it’s just as important. After the sun dips below the horizon, don’t pack up and leave right away. Keep watching the sky and continue shooting. Often, the best colors appear well after the sun has set, especially if there are clouds near the horizon. I’ve learned from experience not to give up too soon, only to see amazing colors after I’ve packed up. Now, I stay until all the color is gone and the sky is dark.

Sunset photography is a lot of fun and you don’t have to travel far to do it. There’s a sunset every day, and you can capture it from almost anywhere, even your backyard. Not every sunset will be spectacular, but many will. Get out there with your camera and try these tips. The more you practice, the better you’ll get. Plus, mastering sunset photography in your own backyard will give you confidence to nail the shot when you travel to other places.