Sunset & Sunrise Photography

Sunset photography delivers some of the most beautiful light of the day – warm, golden and dramatic – if you arrive early, expose carefully, and include a strong foreground. The keys are timing, exposure for the bright sky, and composition. Here’s how to photograph sunsets.

As the sun starts to fade (or rise) from the sky it gives us one last flash of its brilliant wavelengths like a rainbow of dying light. Sunset photography is a great opportunity to capture dynamic, rich and vivid photographs that are rare to repeat.

Here are some practical tips and hints for beginners on how to make the most of sunset and sunrise photography.

When’s the Right Time to Photograph a Sunset?

The golden hour is a period of time just before the sun sets and after the sun rises where you get beautiful warm light. But this isn’t to say it’s the only time you can photograph a sunset. It’s not an expectation that the sun needs to be visible in sunrise or sunset photography.

Once the sun disappears you may only have a 10-15-minute window in which the light is at its best. If you want to shoot while the sun is still visible, try to position it behind an object in the foreground – maybe a person, a building, or a tree.

This will not only help to avoid a hot spot where the sun sits in the frame, but it also makes for an interesting, silhouetted composition.

How to Prepare your Kit

To make sure your lens is as clean as possible simply point it towards the sun and even the tiniest specks of dust will be visible when shooting sunsets.

It’s important to give both the front and back glass elements a good wipe with a microfibre cloth to remove as much dust as possible. Otherwise you’ll be spending ages in the editing suite! You can also use a small rocket blower or a lens pen to remove blemishes on the glass.

Two safety points, and the first one is about you rather than the camera. Never look at the sun through an optical viewfinder, because the lens concentrates the light straight onto your retina and the damage is permanent. Compose on the rear screen instead. As for the camera, leaving live view running with the sun in the frame for minutes at a time can in extreme cases mark a sensor, so frame the shot, take it, and point the lens away between frames rather than leaving it staring at the sun.

Do I Need a Tripod for Photographing Sunsets?

Though it’s possible to shoot without a tripod, one does offer a good by-product. Using a tripod, while it tends to slow you down normally, for sunrise photography helps.

Use it to place your attention on achieving a good composition and the best possible exposure rather than just shooting on the go.

Sunset Photography Camera Dial Settings

Shooting in Aperture Priority (A/Av) mode is a good place to start for beginners to sunset/sunrise photography.

While you can also shoot in Manual mode if you feel more confident, either way you’re simply finding a setting to give you control over the exposure.

Use a Small Aperture When Shooting the Sun

For sunrise and sunset work, F/8 to F/11 is where most lenses are sharpest and where you should start. Close down to F/16 only when you specifically want the sun to burst into a star, and know that you are trading a little sharpness across the whole frame for it – F/22 is past the point where diffraction costs more than the starburst gains. Remember you are looking directly at the sun so light is going to be as bright as possible. To stop overexposure, narrow the aperture and regulate the amount of light entering the lens.

The foreground area may appear underexposed, but it’s always best to expose the sky when shooting into the sun. You can recover shadow detail easier than blown-out highlights.

Though I have got some suggestions for improving dynamic range coming up, so you won’t need to battle with underexposure. This small aperture will also help capture that strong starburst effect and make rays of light appear more defined and clearer.

Consider Exposure Compensation

If your sunset exposure is not what you want, apply exposure compensation to improve it. Depending upon your shot then add in some positive exposure comp (+) to make the scene brighter. Conversely, if it’s a little too bright then darken it using negative exposure comp (-).

If you’re shooting in Manual (M) mode, then exposure comp may not work on some cameras. Instead, you’ll have to change the shutter speed or ISO instead to alter the exposure.

Try Bracketed Exposures (AEB)

When shooting into the sunset there is a huge difference in tonal values between the brightest and darkest parts in the image – this is called dynamic range. With pointing the camera directly at the sun, you may not be able to capture the true details within the scene.

If you expose for the sky, then the foreground may be too dark, and if you expose for the foreground then the sky can turn out too bright.

So, what can we do about that?

Well shooting bracketed exposures is usually pretty easy to do and some cameras have automated options for you. AEB typically shoots 3 exposures.  One will be the correct, one a little darker, and one a bit brighter.

Take the individual exposures and merge them into a single image using Lightroom’s Photo Merge option.

Which White Balance Should I Use?

Leaving the white balance on auto runs the risk of losing the warm golden sunset tones. Instead, use ‘cloudy’ or ‘shade’ settings as they are generally used with cooler lights and therefore add a little warmth automatically. Even if it doesn’t come out perfectly, you can always enhance it further in editing.

Where Should I Focus when Photographing the Sun?

Don’t focus on the sun! It’s so bright it will be hard to see an edge clear enough for focus to be detected. If you are using graduated filters though, then it may be more visible.

Instead, look for an interesting subject to centre your sunset or sunrise around like we mentioned at the start. Maybe a person, tree or building that could be positioned in front of the sunset. This type of backlighting will turn the subject into a shapely silhouette.

Depending upon where it is positioned in the frame use a moveable focus point and select one that is similar to the size of the object you want to focus on.

Sunset and Sunrise Photography: Final Words

Shooting sunsets and sunrises is a favoured pastime for many of our iPhotography members.

We see lots of great examples in the gallery and hopefully these tips will help you improve your sunsets. Remember to share your photos with us in the gallery or tag us on social.

For more, read our guide to landscape photography.

Frequently Asked Questions

What settings are best for sunset photography?

A low ISO, a narrow-ish aperture (f/8-f/11) for sharp landscapes, and a tripod as the light fades. Expose for the bright sky (or bracket) and shoot RAW to hold the rich colour and detail.

How do I expose for a sunset?

Meter for the bright sky so the colours stay rich (use exposure compensation or spot metering), accepting darker foreground, or bracket and blend. Shooting RAW lets you recover foreground detail later.

When should I arrive to photograph a sunset?

Well before the sun sets, the best colour often comes 10-20 minutes after the sun dips (the afterglow), and the light keeps changing. Arrive early to compose and stay late for the blue hour.

How do I make my sunset photos more interesting?

Include a strong foreground or silhouette (a tree, person, pier) for depth and scale, use the warm light on the landscape, and watch the clouds, they catch the colour and add drama.

Why do my sunset photos look washed out?

Usually overexposure of the bright sky. Dial in negative exposure compensation or meter on the sky to keep the colours saturated, and shoot RAW to recover the balance afterwards.