Sunset Photography: How to Capture Beauty in Waning Light

A blazing sun, rich bold colors, the way the blues slowly give way to the reds and oranges and, eventually, dissipate into dusk. Sunsets are one of nature’s most breathtaking sights and a favorite to photograph among professionals, social media influencers, and hobbyists alike. 

But how do you ensure that the beauty of a sunset translates into a photo? This is where many beginner photographers struggle. Luckily, with the right gear, camera settings and some basic photography tips, you can learn to take stunning sunset shots.

What Is Sunset Photography?

Naturally, sunset photography refers to taking photos at sunset, but it might also involve shooting during golden hour (the hour before sunset) and blue hour (the hour after sunset). 

As a type of nature photography, it revolves around capturing a beautiful sunset itself or landscapes lit by a sunset. Of course, other types of photography can be done at and around sunset, as well. For example, it’s a popular time for portrait and wedding photography because of the soft, golden glow the setting sun can cast on the subjects. 

Sunset photography is very similar to sunrise photography, but it’s a little more common. After all, it’s much easier to wait for the sun to set than to wake up early enough to catch it on the rise. Sunsets also tend to have richer, more vibrant colors, so many landscape photographers prefer them over sunrises. 

Sunset Photography Equipment

The following tools will help you take amazing sunset photos: 

Camera

Any camera that lets you manually adjust a dynamic range of exposure settings will work for sunset photography. You can even take photos with your mobile phone—there are third-party apps you can use to play around with settings like shutter speed and ISO. However, if you want to take professional-looking photos, then a full-frame DSLR or mirrorless camera with a high resolution would be a better choice. 

Lenses

If you’re hoping to photograph landscapes during sunset, then a wide-angle lens (focal length of 35mm or less) will work well. If you want the setting sun to appear larger and be the focus of your photo, you can use a telephoto lens (300mm or more). Just don’t look at the sun through the viewfinder, as this can cause eye damage. 

Neutral Density Filter

One of the biggest challenges with sunset photography is adjusting to lighting conditions to balance out the exposure. Here’s where a graduated neutral density filter can come in handy. It’s tinted near the top and clear near the bottom. With it, you can increase your camera’s exposure and make sure everything below the horizon is well exposed, but because of the tinted top half, the sky won’t be blown out. 

You can also use a fully tinted ND filter, which is handy for minimizing the amount of light that reaches the lens during long exposure photography. 

Tripod

As it gets darker, you’ll need to use a slower shutter speed to allow more light into your lens. This also means that, if your camera isn’t steady, your photos will turn out blurry. To avoid this, be sure to set your camera on a tripod. 

Shutter Release Remote

Even with a tripod, manually pressing the shutter release button can introduce a bit of shake and result in slightly blurry photos. Using a camera remote solves this problem and guarantees sharp, clear photos every time. If you don’t have a remote, you can also use your camera’s self-timer feature. 

Sunset Photography Camera Settings

Plan to be out for about two hours—from an hour before sunset to an hour after. During this time, the sun will slowly set, and you’ll be able to capture a wide variety of shots. However, it will gradually get darker and darker, so you’ll need to keep changing your camera settings to compensate for the waning light. 

Shoot in manual mode so you can adjust the following settings: 

Aperture

For landscape photos, use a small aperture (f/11 to f/16). This will create a large depth of field and ensure that every element of the photo is in focus.

Shutter Speed

Start with a faster shutter speed, such as 1/50th of a second. As the sun sets and the sky gets darker and darker, you can switch to slower shutter speeds to let the lens capture more light. You can also try taking long-exposure sunset photos to blur the motion of the sun and the clouds. 

ISO

Use the lowest possible ISO—in most cases, that’s 100. As it gets darker, you may need to raise it slightly, but see if you can adjust your aperture and shutter speed first, since raising the ISO too much will make your photos grainy. 

Manual Focus

When pointed at a bright sky in auto-focus mode, your camera might have trouble finding something to focus on. If that’s the case, it’s best to use manual focus.

Shoot in RAW

Even with the perfect camera settings for each situation, you’ll likely still need to do a bit of editing. To give yourself the most flexibility and control, make sure your photos are saved in a RAW format, which you can later convert to jpeg and other formats during post-processing using apps like Lightroom and Photoshop.

Sunset Photography Ideas and Tips

Sunset images don’t all have to look the same. The location, exposure settings and how late into the sunset you capture the photo can all make a massive difference in the final result. Check out these ideas for inspiration: 

1. Sunset Landscape Photography

To capture a photo of a landscape during sunset, use a wide-angle lens and a very narrow aperture (f/22 is ideal). You might even be able to capture the sun’s rays spilling over the landscape, as long as there is something partially blocking it. Photographing mountains with the sun slightly behind them is perfect for this, but you can also use trees or even clouds. 

2. Sunset Beach Photography

Sunset and beach photography go hand in hand—not only do you get to capture the brilliant sunset in the sky, but also its reflection in the water. Just make sure both are equally well exposed. Try your hand at various photography composition elements, such as the rule of thirds.

3. City Sunset Photography

You don’t have to be out in nature to capture a stunning sunset. If you live in the city, see if you can get up to a high point to get an unobstructed view. Alternatively, you might catch it on ground level in the space between buildings. If you’re worried about too many cars and people adding distractions, try using long exposure to blur their movement. 

4. Backlit Sunset Photography

A setting sun makes the perfect backdrop for silhouette photography, where the background is bright, but the subjects in the foreground are underexposed, sometimes even completely black. To achieve this, use manual exposure settings and meter off of the sky. Use manual focus to make sure your subjects are still in focus, and test out different exposures to see what details you can capture. 

5. Long Exposure Sunset Photography

Use a slow shutter speed to blur the motion of water or clouds. This will give your photos a dreamy, out-of-this-world quality. Just be sure to use a tripod and a remote to make sure there’s absolutely no camera shake. If you’re shooting in the late stages of a sunset and it’s already quite dark, the slow shutter speed will help better expose the photo. If it’s still quite bright out, use a neutral density filter on your lens to avoid overexposure. 

Try It Yourself

The best thing about capturing sunset scenes is that there is endless room to get creative. Plan a photo shoot and play around with subjects, composition, shutter speed and exposure. Maybe even try time-lapse photography! With practice, you’ll get to know your gear and your favorite techniques to be able to take gorgeous sunset photos every time. 

Written By

Sayana Lam

Sayana is a musician, writer and graphic designer based in Toronto, Canada.

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