Everyone enjoys photographing sunrises and sunsets, but sometimes they can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you get an amazing shot.
1. You will generally want to plan ahead, and also take your time. While you can certainly take spontaneous photos, generally it’s a good idea to plan sunrise and sunset photo shoots. Figure out where you want to shoot- a mountain range, the beach, a local park. What’s great about sunrises and sunsets is that they are always changing- within minutes you can get a very different shot. Remember to take time to notice the clouds and changing light.
2. Stay out late, or wake up early. The sun does not necessarily have to be in a sunrise or sunset photo. You can either stay out after the sun has set, or get up early before the sun rises. Because the sun is so bright, the contrast with the morning or evening sky can be drastic, and it will be easier when the sun is not in the frame.
3. Experiment with bracketing. Bracketing allows you to take 3 of the same photos with different exposures. You will want to expose for one shot, and then the additional shots: one stop over exposed, and one stop underexposed. As an example, you can start at F8, and then the next two shots will be at F5.6 and F11.
4. Look for silhouettes. Silhouettes are created when you have a properly exposed background, and the objects in the foreground are dark. To achieve this, find an area of the sky to set a good exposure, and then compose your photograph.
5. Take a tripod with you. Just in case the lighting is low and you want a long exposure time, you will be prepared.
6. Play around with different settings on your camera. If you are on auto white balance, try the “cloud” or “shade” settings to get warmer tones.
Have fun with sunrises and sunsets. You can also use the wonderful lighting to photograph the landscape around you. Remember that you may want to use F16 or F22 to get more in focus.
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