Sunset Photo Shoot: How to Plan a Successful Portrait Shoot. Photographing sunsets

Publication date: 24.07.2015

What helps to distinguish in the photo flat object from volume? Highlights and shadows on an object created by light. In this series of articles we will talk about one of the most important components of photography - lighting.

How to distinguish a three-dimensional object from a two-dimensional object on an image plane? Thanks to the light and shadow pattern: highlights and shadows.

Artistic photographs do not simply record some objects, but create a certain mood, atmosphere. Lighting can play a role in the plot of a photo and help convey certain emotions in the frame. It’s not for nothing that they say “look at things in a different light”, “see someone in a new light” - light allows you to see new details even in ordinary things. Artistic photographs do not just capture some objects, but create a certain mood and atmosphere. Lighting can play a role in the plot of a photo and help convey certain emotions in the frame. It’s not for nothing that they say “look at things in a different light”, “see someone in a new light” - light allows you to see new details even in ordinary things.

Photographers working under open air, depend on the natural light that nature gives us. It is almost impossible to manage it and customize it for yourself. Yes, in portrait photography use special diffusers and reflectors, flashes. But all these measures can only be applied at short distances.

Obviously, the lighting will change throughout the day along with the position of the Sun in the sky. Also, lighting will depend on the weather and even the time of year.

What is the best time to take photographs to get expressive shots?

Scheduled time

When it comes to finding favorable lighting for shooting, the first thing that comes to mind is the term “setting time”. It is relevant for any shooting: landscape, portrait, travel photography. Photographers shooting on the street use the closed time period for their own purposes.

When does the shutdown happen? It is tied to two key points: the moment of sunrise and the moment of sunset.

Regular time is a period that includes 1 hour before sunrise and 1 hour after it. And vice versa: 1 hour before sunset and 1 hour after it. Of course, after an hour after sunrise, no one will suddenly turn off the good light. It’s just that the beneficial lighting will gradually disappear. The time frames indicated above are indicative only, a lot depends on the location, time of year and weather, as well as on your lighting requirements.

Regular hours consist of two periods that differ in the nature of illumination: “blue hour” and “golden hour”.

Blue hour: 1 hour before dawn, 1 hour after sunset.

The day for a photographer begins about an hour before dawn. At this time, the night gradually gives way to pre-dawn twilight. It is already light enough to take photographs, and the light is soft, diffused and has a bluish tint. Therefore, this period is often called the blue hour.

The blue hour has one peculiarity: while everything on earth is in shadow, the sky is gradually painted with dawn colors. Objects located at a height (for example, mountain peaks) will also be colored, because they receive direct rays from the Sun, which for us has not yet risen.

If you are planning to photograph the dawn sky, you can start about half an hour before dawn, and in the case of evening photography, start after sunset. This will give you a beautifully colored sky and save you from serious dynamic range problems when the sky is not as bright as when the Sun is above the horizon.

In the evening, after sunset, there is also a blue hour. But everything happens in the reverse order: the sky gradually turns pale, the street becomes darker, and twilight sets in.

Golden hour: 1 hour after sunrise, 1 hour before sunset; sunrise and sunset.

So, the Sun has appeared above the horizon, and in the case of evening photography, it is about to set behind it. At this moment, the next characteristic period begins - the golden hour. At this time, the Sun, low above the horizon, gives a pleasant golden light, applying “gilding” to surrounding objects. In the morning and evening, sunlight passes through the Earth's atmosphere more a long way than during the day. Because of this, it dissipates, becomes softer, and does not cast such contrasting shadows as in the daytime. This benefits the photographs.

A novice photographer may get the impression that all these blue and gold watches are only needed by those who want to shoot beautiful sunrises or sunsets. This is wrong. As long as the Sun is near the horizon, its light is suitable for any type of photography, because during this period of time it perfectly conveys the volume and texture of objects.

NIKON D810 / 35.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 80, F1.4, 1/400 s, 35.0 mm equiv.

Of course, fixed time is also great for taking portraits. Since we are dealing with fairly diffuse and at the same time very effective lighting, very expressive shots can be taken during the golden hour.

Morning and evening operating hours. What are the differences?

The main difference is that in the morning and evening the Sun shines from different directions, because it sets and sets in different parts of the sky. Therefore, in the morning and evening the same place can be illuminated completely differently. This means that in some places it is more profitable to photograph in the evening, in others in the morning.

Often the morning blue and golden hours are accompanied by fog, and in nature also by abundant dew, frost or frost. These phenomena can also decorate your shots. In the evening hours they are usually not so strong, and they happen less often.

It's cold in the morning. Early in the morning it is usually much colder than in the afternoon or evening, so dress very warmly for the morning shoot, think about your comfort and health. Most likely, in order to be at the shooting location at the right time, you will have to leave in the dark. To navigate the area, take a flashlight with you. It is more convenient to use a headlamp: it will free your hands.

Peculiarity early morning in the city - the absence of passers-by on the street: everyone is still sleeping. Consequently, it is possible to photograph even the busiest places in the city without people.

During the morning golden hour, the sunlight has a golden hue, while in evening time the lighting is reddish.

Choosing photographic equipment. What to shoot sunsets and sunrises with?

• Camera with a large matrix, wide dynamic range and manual settings. A large matrix will give low level digital noise and high image quality. A wide dynamic range will allow you to show all the details in the image, both in the bright sky and in dark areas of the ground. Manual settings will help you make a shot with the desired brightness - during normal operation, automation sometimes makes mistakes in setting the exposure and white balance parameters. Based on these requirements, a DSLR camera would be an excellent choice. Even the most affordable models, for example, Nikon D3300, will do. More advanced devices (for example, Nikon D750 or Nikon D810), in addition to excellent image quality and ease of operation, have another important characteristic- they are protected from moisture. This is especially true in the morning, when there is dew and fog all around.

• How to choose a lens? A novice photographer can also use a kit lens (included with the camera); it is quite suitable for such shooting. But its viewing angle may not be enough for landscape photography. Then you should take a closer look at wide-angle optics. For cropped cameras good choice will be the Nikon AF-S 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED DX Nikkor lens, for full frame - Nikon AF-S 18-35MM F/3.5-4.5G ED Nikkor or Nikon AF-S 16-35MM F/4G ED VR Nikkor. For portraits, it is more convenient to use fast lenses with a focal length of 35 mm or more. A classic choice would be a “fifty-kopeck” lens, that is, a lens with a focal length of 50 mm, for example, Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor. All of these lenses not only have good sharpness, but also cope well with backlit shooting without producing strong glare in the photo. This quality is also very important when shooting during restricted hours.

Some lenses (especially old and inexpensive ones) produce strong flare when shooting against the Sun. Such a glare can ruin the entire photo. Keep in mind that a lens hood does not provide absolute protection against flare, especially if we are shooting in backlit situations. Protective filters can also add glare to a photo. When shooting in backlit conditions, it is better to remove them from the lens.

• For landscape photography you need a tripod. Before dawn, the street is not yet as light as during the day. Let's add to this that landscapes are shot on closed apertures to get a large depth of field. This means that you will have to take photographs at long shutter speeds. Where there are long shutter speeds, there is a tripod: without it, you won’t get sharp, high-quality shots. But for portrait, street or reportage photography, there will be enough light if you photograph with open apertures. With these types of shooting, a tripod is often a liability.

How to take photos during regular hours? Practical advice

Observe nature. When you last time Did you see the sunrise? Not from the apartment window, casting a sleepy glance in his direction before going to work, but more consciously? Try to study this process in dynamics: you will see how quickly the colors of the sky and the lighting around change, how nature or the city wakes up. For the first time, you don’t have to take any photographic equipment with you at all - use your own eyes. This kind of visual experience is very useful for a photographer.

Plan your shoot. Find a place in advance, select suitable shooting points. Find out the exact time and place in the sky where the sun will rise or set. The Sun does not always rise strictly in the east and set in the west. Depending on the time of year, the Sun rises and sets in different places. Special smartphone applications will help you plan your shooting. The same can be done on this web page - just indicate on the map the approximate location of the shooting and select the desired date. The site will show in which direction and at what time the sunset and sunrise will be.

Check the weather forecast. If cloudy weather is promised, then we will not see any special lighting - the lighting will be exactly the same as on a cloudy day. Clear days or partly cloudy weather are good for shooting during regular hours.

There are many articles on the Internet on the topic of photographing sunrises and sunsets, but despite such an abundance of information, some novice photographers still have questions on this topic.

If you are one of those people who are attracted to sunrise and sunset pictures; who wants to know what is needed in order to get interesting shots; what camera settings and modes to use, in this article I will reveal some important points this type of photography, which will help you avoid many mistakes at first.

Photographic equipment for shooting sunrise/sunset

To photograph sunrises/sunsets we will need:

• Digital camera supporting manual (M) and/or semi-automatic exposure control mode (A - aperture priority);
• Wide angle lens. For example, a fixed lens is 18mm, or a zoom lens from 18mm with a lens hood;
• Tripod.

As you can see, you don’t need much to photograph sunrise/sunset.

Camera settings, shooting mode

Mode “A” - aperture priority

If your camera is capable of operating in “A” mode - aperture priority, set this exposure control mode. White balance (WB) can be set to “Cloudy”, or enable automatic WB mode - it doesn’t matter, since we are shooting in RAW. If we shoot in RAW mode, when converting, we can set the optimal WB for a particular photo, which greatly facilitates the photographer’s work when post-processing the source files in Photoshop.

Center-weighted exposure metering

We set the exposure metering mode to center-weighted. We measure the exposure not far from the sun (in the orange spectrum), but not in the sun itself. If there is no sun, we take measurements near the orange spectrum of the glow, but not in a bright area - in an area of ​​neutral brightness of the glow. Typically this zone is located slightly above the horizon line.

ISO sensitivity

We set the ISO sensitivity value on the camera to the lowest. As a rule, this is ISO 100. But if your camera supports even lower values, for example, ISO 50, set it.
Remember, the lower the ISO value, the less noise in the midtones, therefore, the higher the technical quality of the image.

Shutter Delay Mode

You should also set the shutter delay mode in the camera menu (if available). To avoid movement during exposure, you can use the self-timer with a 5-second delay. All these techniques, combined with the use of a stable tripod, will give high image clarity with a long shutter speed, which can be quite long: from a fraction of a second (photo above) to several seconds (photo at the beginning of the article). It is for this reason that I recommend using shutter delay and self-timer to get a technically high-quality photo.

Average aperture values

In mode “A” - aperture priority, the shutter speed when shooting is determined automatically, therefore, we set only the necessary aperture, for example, 8f. The aperture can be anything you want, but it is still better to set the average values. For example, if your lens has an aperture of 1:2f - 1:16f, the average value will be 1:7f - 1:8f. Using average aperture values, we are using the maximum lens resolution, which means the image will also have high detail.

Glow of the rising sun

Whoever gets up early...

To capture the dawn glow, you need to arrive at the shooting location 15-20 minutes before dawn. The dawn glow in summer begins approximately from 4:10 to 4:30 am (photo above). At 5 am the sun is already quite high (photo below).

Capturing the glow of the setting sun

Just like the dawn glow, after sunset the stage of sunset glow begins. The sunset glow lasts a little longer than the dawn glow, but you shouldn’t hesitate to shoot so as not to miss interesting point atmospheric conditions, see photo below.

Animated sunset

If you include silhouettes of animals in the composition, see photo below, such a photo becomes animated - alive. The animated landscape looks natural, filling the photo with serenity and warmth, emphasizing the interconnection of fauna and flora. When composing your shot, pay attention to the placement of objects in the frame to achieve a balanced composition.

Composition

The sun does not have to be in the center, as in this photo. It may be slightly offset to the side. But in this case, for a balanced composition it is necessary to place secondary objects on the opposite side in contrast to the main object.

Animated landscape

Departing a little from main topic this article, I want to say a few words about the animated landscape in which there is no Living being, that is, living beings may not be directly present in the animate landscape; their presence in the photograph may be indirect.

For example, in this landscape, see photo on the right (click on the picture to enlarge), at first glance, there is no living creature, but this landscape can be classified as an animate landscape, since it is animated by hare tracks, thereby connecting this landscape with a living being, in in this case- a hare.

Photographing natural phenomena at sunrise/sunset

One day, when I got to the shooting location, I saw that a storm was approaching from the sea. The wind became so strong that drops of sea water mixed with sand reached me. That morning I took the risk of taking just one shot (photo below) and hurried back home. About halfway there, the storm caught up with me. A terrible thunderstorm began. In small dashes I reached some boarding house, which may have saved me from a lightning strike - thanks to the watchman. At a time like this everyone normal people they have sweet dreams, and only some people can’t sleep :)

Frankly speaking, photographing a dawn for me is every time a small test of professional suitability. I like to sleep until lunchtime, and getting up long before dawn is not easy for me. But overcoming laziness and the desire to sleep, I again rush to take photographs, rubbing my eyes and stumbling over snowdrifts. I wish you all more successful shots. Thank you for your attention.

More on this topic.

The most successful shots, as most photographers will say, are taken at sunset and dawn. We've taken the experience of professional landscape photographers and compiled all their recommendations for sunset photography into one Nikon Master's Course. So, today they will help you learn how to catch the last (or first) once and for all. Sun rays photographers Vlad Sokolovsky, Stanislav Savin, Sergey Ryzhkov, Alexander Atoyan, Vadim Malyshev and Evgeny Zhmak.

And, as usual, we are announcing a competition as part of the Master’s program: we are waiting for your best sunsets and sunrises in the comments! Our experts will choose the winner, and we will give him branded prizes from Nikon! We will also be glad to see your additions to the tips in the comments.

We remind you that we expect up to 7 photos from one participant indicating the equipment used in shooting. The competition accepts works shot on Nikon. And don't forget to add us as friends!

It's no secret that morning and evening hours (the so-called "regime time", "golden hour") are the most successful for landscape photography. And, in fact, there is no need to try to shoot a beautiful landscape at a completely unusual time (unless, of course, you have a specific creative idea or the weather is still favorable for this).

"Golden hour" is the period of time in the first hour after sunrise and at last hour before his entry. At this time, the sky still has a beautiful reddish-golden hue (hence the name of this shooting time).
The closer the sun is to the horizon, the softer and more diffuse the light; less likely to get an under- or overexposed frame; With the right shooting point, less contrast but long shadows give the frames additional volume and highlight the relief.

In autumn, when the sun rises relatively low above the horizon, this period increases slightly, which gives additional time and chances to take a successful shot.

I prefer shooting at sunset: at dawn the sun still rises quite quickly, but at sunset it sets more slowly, and besides, there is a chance to catch the last enchanting “puff”.

But, in addition to the opportunity to see a beautiful sunset or sunrise, our task is to have time to capture it. And there are small ones, but, in my opinion, useful recommendations on this score. I will try to list them as much as possible.

1. To determine the best time for shooting in your region, you can use the site http://www.golden-hour.com, http://www.timeanddate.com/sun or a similar application for mobile devices. Unfortunately, not a single resource can reliably tell you whether there will be a beautiful sunset or sunrise on that day. It's a kind of lottery.

2. Often in the morning the air is cleaner and more transparent than in the evening (it is clear that natural phenomena type of fog does not count). By evening, haze may appear in the atmosphere for various reasons.

3. It is necessary to arrive at the shooting point in advance if you do not know the area thoroughly. When the sun starts to rise or set, it will be too late to rush around looking for a good angle. If possible, try to get acquainted with the intended shooting location using other people's footage.

Sometimes the best light lasts just a few minutes! And by this moment you should definitely know where you can take the most successful photo. Well, if you have in mind several good, in your opinion, angles, you’ll even have to run :)

But if you are sure that you have chosen the most advantageous angle, stay until the end! Firstly, light, temperature, combinations of clouds, etc. will constantly change. And in the end they can turn out completely various variations pictures. And secondly, after it seems to you that everything is over, there will be no more light, the last “puff” may happen. For a very short time the sun illuminates the sky, the light from the sky falls on the earth. Sometimes it looks just fantastic. Unfortunately, I missed two such moments in my life. Both of them occurred in Transcarpathia.

4. The technical part is very important: shooting in RAW, knowledge of various camera settings and the ability to quickly change white balance (I always shoot with manual WB settings via LiveView), using bracketed shooting mode (it’s no secret that even at dawn or At sunset there is still a fairly strong difference in brightness in the scene being filmed). In addition to the exposure bracket, gradient neutral gray filters are very useful in backlit situations (the main thing is not to overdo it with their density). And, of course, a tripod. At sunset, the light will become less and less, shutter speeds will lengthen, and for shooting with exposure bracketing it is simply necessary. At dawn, you will start shooting with fairly long shutter speeds, where a tripod is also necessary. Without it, you will have to “raise” the ISO, which will ultimately have a bad effect on image quality.

6. Pronounced rays appear as the aperture is closed. The larger the aperture number, the stronger the rays are visible. But do not forget about such a concept as diffraction. Everything should be in moderation. The number of rays from the sun is equal to the number of lens aperture blades (if the lens has a pair of them). If a lens has an unpaired number of aperture blades, the number of rays is multiplied by two.

7. If you are filming a sunset or sunrise in a fairly inaccessible place (for example, on a hill), from where (or where) you will need to walk back to the car/camp, take the time to take care of your clothes in advance and have a flashlight with you. In fact, a flashlight is a very useful thing, and at times simply necessary. Moving without it at dusk along a mountain path, even if it is not difficult, is very problematic.

And some examples with brief explanations and shooting parameters.

Solovetsky Islands, evening.
That very case when the light was really good for shooting. Very soft, warm. It was possible to film both the frontal view of the Solovetsky Monastery and its reverse side in backlight with frequently changing shades of the sky.
Aperture: f/8
Exposure: 30
ISO: 400
Focal length: 26 mm
Camera: Nikon D610

Aperture: f/10
Exposure: 30
ISO: 560
Focal length: 29 mm
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S VR NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED
ND1000x Neutral Gray Filter

And the same place after a short time (talking about changing shades).
Aperture: f/8
Exposure: 61
ISO: 560
Focal length: 29 mm
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S VR NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED
ND1000x Neutral Gray Filter

South Bohemia, shooting at sunset. Shadows favorably emphasize the terrain, soft light helps highlight individual areas of the frame. And all together it gives volume and entertainment. Well, and the third shot - it was the soft sunset light that helped to tonally differentiate the upper and lower parts of the frame at the shooting stage.
Aperture: f/9
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 400
Focal length: 220 mm
Camera: Nikon D610

Aperture: f/9
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 400
Focal length: 360 mm
Camera: Nikon D610

Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/125
ISO: 400
Focal length: 320 mm
Camera: Nikon D610

About the last “puff”. It was evening like evening, sluggish, with a completely nondescript sky. The sun had already set behind the mountain, and I, without much hope, lingered on the pier to clear my conscience. And suddenly the sky began to light up. I only managed to take a few long exposure shots. By the way, unfortunately, the light never reached the “Three Sisters”, “Camel” and “Turtle” rocks, which are usually filmed here, and the sky behind them still remained “bald”.
Aperture: f/9
Shutter speed: 110
ISO: 400
Focal length: 16 mm
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: AF-S VR NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED
ND1000x Neutral Gray Filter

Carpathians, Gorgan ridge.
Aperture: f/10
Exposure: 30
ISO: 200
Focal length: 10 mm
Camera: Nikon D7000

High Tatras. The location was known, and so was the shooting point. All we could do was wait and hope.
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/15
ISO: 200
Focal length: 24 mm
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR

Belarus. Using a gradient neutral gray filter helped smooth out the brightness difference and dim the sun. Well, the tree located in front of the sun also had a positive effect to some extent on the lack of flare.
Aperture: f/10
Shutter speed: 1/125
ISO: 200
Focal length: 10 mm
Camera: Nikon D90

Kanaka. An example of using bracketing when shooting.
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 0.6
ISO: 200
Focal length: 10 mm
Camera: Nikon D90
Gradient gray filter 4x

Boar Pass. We arrived at a completely unfamiliar shooting location specifically in the evening, which allowed us to take a closer look at the angles in advance.
Aperture: f/13
Shutter speed: 1/15
ISO: 100
Focal length: 11 mm
Camera: Nikon D90
Gradient gray filter 4x
Gradient neutral gray filter 4x + exposure bracketing of three frames

Stanislav Savin ( sav_in ):

Sunset is a favorite shooting time for most photographers. Whether you're a landscape photographer or a portrait photographer, the warm sunset light brings a magical mood to any frame.

1. Many photographers, especially beginners, are afraid to shoot against the sun. This is due to the fact that the setting sun, directed into the lens, inevitably produces glare, reducing contrast and deteriorating the technical quality of the image. But for me personally, the sun in the lens is not an enemy at all, but rather, on the contrary, additional remedy expressiveness that can be used effectively. Moreover, sometimes I deliberately try to enhance the glare. In some images they help add air and naturalness to the frame.

Camera: Nikon D800

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

2. As a rule, a gradient filter helps to enhance glare, which, in addition to its main purpose - darkening the sky, makes it possible to add glare to the frame due to the presence of scratches on its surface, which inevitably form during its use and begin to refract the sun's rays. An interesting effect can be achieved by sprinkling a little water on the filter.

But much more often we want to get a “clean” photo, without unnecessary glare. In this case, an effective technique would be to block the sun with some object to minimize the refraction of light in the objective lens.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

3. The glare of the sun and the ability to use it artistically is good. But never forget to constantly turn your head in search of the best angle and plot. Sometimes the most interesting things can happen behind your back! Good luck and creative success! :)

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

It is a rare landscape photographer who does not strive to reflect the enchanting magic of sunset light in his work. The sunset can transform any landscape and paint the sky in incredible colors. But capturing this beautiful phenomenon with a camera is not always easy. I'm sharing some of the techniques I use both when shooting and editing images.

1. Shooting technique and parameters

In any genre, the equipment used plays an important, but not exclusive role. The most professional camera does not create good shots on its own. Only the photographer himself can do this, and the equipment helps him achieve a technically high-quality result. Today, even amateur-level SLR cameras have very wide capabilities, so it makes no sense for a beginner to chase top-end camera models. But without a good, stable tripod, it’s hard to imagine landscape photography. I always use minimum ISO, medium aperture and manual focus. Photo quality must be RAW.

Aperture: f/9
Exposure bracketing. For the sky: 1/320. For ground: 1/80
ISO: 200
Focal length: 35 mm
Camera: Nikon D7100

2. Weather and state of nature

You can perfectly master all the technical techniques and the best equipment, but this will do absolutely nothing if there is no good lighting and plot. To capture a good sunset, sometimes you have to be patient and be willing to work hard. It's never a bad idea to check the weather forecast before planning your trip. But I adore nature mainly because it is completely unpredictable; you never know for sure what awaits you on the shoot. When nature presents an unexpected surprise, it is important to capture it in time and try to convey the atmosphere of this moment. It was difficult to shoot the panorama below: the light was changing literally every second, and the clouds were rushing overhead. There was a risk that the shots simply couldn’t be stitched together because the sky and light were too dynamic. In addition, it rained lightly on me, so it would be useful to always have dry wipes with you to wipe the lenses from drops.

Panorama of 4 vertical frames
Aperture: f/14

ISO: 100
Focal length: 17 mm
Camera: Nikon D800

3. Backlight

Of course, first of all, you want to capture the setting sun and the palette of colors that spills across the sunset sky. Here the photographer is faced with the problem of the narrow dynamic range (the ratio between the maximum and minimum measurable light intensity) that cameras have. Therefore, I almost always shoot with shutter speed bracketing, that is, I take several shots with a certain exposure compensation value. Most often, two frames are enough for me - one for the ground and the second for the sky. Both frames are then subjected to additional correction in Adobe Camera RAW.

The second problem when shooting against the light is the presence of sun glare or, as they are called, “bunnies”. The cheaper the optics, the more significant this problem is. If there are glares, I take an additional frame, covering the sun with my hand, and use it to eliminate glare in the main frame. I do this because I often fail to properly remove glare in a graphics editor.

Aperture: f/14
Exposure bracketing. For the sky: 1/8. For ground: 1/1.6
ISO: 100
Focal length: 17 mm
Camera: Nikon D800

4. Vertical panorama

When shooting, do not forget about dynamic foreground, which also looks great in the rays of the setting sun. To do this, I often resort to shooting so-called “vertorams”. To create them, I use two or three horizontal frames, which I then stitch together into one photo, close in format to a square.

Aperture: f/13
Exposure bracketing. For the sky: 1/40. For land: 1/5
ISO: 200
Focal length: 17 mm
Camera: Nikon D800

5. Don't miss the chance

I try to go to the shoot if there is even the slightest hope of some light among the thick clouds. If you have patience and gather all your courage, sometimes you can get an interesting result :)

Panorama of 7 vertical frames
Aperture: f/11
Exposure bracketing. For the sky: 1/20. For ground: 1/2.5
ISO: 100
Focal length: 16 mm
Camera: Nikon D7100

6. Telephoto lens

For landscape photography, a wide-angle lens is most often used. But if you want to emphasize the shapes and lines of the landscape, then you can’t do without a long lens. It is also indispensable when photographing the solar disk, which is about to disappear behind the horizon.

Aperture: f/14
Shutter speed: 1/10
ISO: 100
Focal length: 70 mm
Camera: Nikon D800

7. Twilight

Don't hide your camera right after the sun has gone down. For some time its rays will paint the clouds in bright colors. And when it seems to you that everything has calmed down and is too dark, try taking a few shots at long shutter speeds. Twilight is a great time for filming, and the camera is able to convey well the glow on the horizon, barely perceptible to the human eye, and its reflections on the ground.

Panorama from 2 horizontal frames
Aperture: f/8
Exposure bracketing. For sky: 10. For earth: 30
ISO: 400
Focal length: 17 mm
Camera: Nikon D800

1. Select a shooting location in advance

This advice is probably the most common, but no less true. The sunset is moving rapidly, as is the play of evening colors; you should not waste these minutes searching for a convenient shooting point and approaches to it. Decide in advance on the shooting point, focusing on the cardinal directions. There are now many apps that allow you to determine the time and direction of sunset. You should arrive a little early.

Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/320
ISO: 200
Camera: Nikon D810

Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/1250
ISO: 320
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

2. Look around

It is not always the very sight of the setting sun that is the only thing worthy of photography. During this restricted time, the landscape around is filled with soft warm light with long shadows emphasizing the relief. Look around - there may be a beautiful story right behind you.

Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/1250
ISO: 320
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

Aperture: f/4
Shutter speed: 1/100
ISO: 200
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 58mm f/1.4G

3. Bad weather can bring unique colors and textures.

If it's raining outside, there's no reason to despair. There are often cases when it is at sunset or before it that the rain subsides, and cloud breaks create fantastic pictures in the sky colored in sunset tones. Always be prepared.

Aperture: f/5
Shutter speed: 1/100
ISO: 640
Camera: Nikon D700

Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/500
ISO: 320
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

4. Sunset Panoramas with Exposure Lock

When shooting a sunset using the panorama method, it is worth understanding how differently different parts of the scene will be illuminated. To ensure the assembly is successful and your photo looks natural, use the exposure and focus lock button. Decide on the main subject, take measurements on it, and then, locking the focus and without changing the settings, shoot all parts of the panorama.

Aperture: f/5
Shutter speed: 1/320
ISO: 200
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

5. Manual temperature setting

Often the camera does not automatically recognize the required light temperature when shooting a sunset; do not forget to make adjustments: both during shooting and when digitally “developing” the frame in a converter. To maintain greater freedom of manipulation and convey all the nuances of light transitions, shoot in nef with the highest possible color depth.

Aperture: f/3.2
Shutter speed: 1/200
ISO: 160
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: AF Zoom-NIKKOR 80-200mm f/2.8D ED

Plans in sunset scenes have significant differences in lighting. To compensate for shadow gaps, use bracketing or manual exposure when shooting on a tripod, and then combine the shot in HDR.

Aperture: f/10
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 500
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

7. Filters

To shoot a sunset landscape, you most often have to get rid of filters. A faithful landscape assistant, a polarizing filter, does not help in this case and only eats up part of the light flux, shading the picture. Remove everything unnecessary from the lens. Perhaps only a gradient filter can be used to equalize the difference in illumination between the sky and the ground.

Aperture: f/5
Shutter speed: 1/100
ISO: 640
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D
Neutral Gradient Filter

Shooting with bracketing
Aperture: f/5
Shutter speed: 1/100
ISO: 400
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D

8. It's worth waiting a little

Don't rush to leave as soon as the sun sets below the horizon. Especially if there are many different clouds in the sky. There is a possibility that right now they will light up in red and gold colors, and the entire sky will be filled with scarlet color with characteristic dark foreground silhouettes.

Aperture: f/10
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 500
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

Aperture: f/10
Shutter speed: 1/500
ISO: 500
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/1600
ISO: 200
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

9. Shooting with a telephoto lens

It so happens that the distant part of the sunset sky contains everything needed to construct a picture. Shooting with long-focus lenses allows you to focus all your attention on a small area of ​​the sunset sky. And also increase the size of the setting sun.

Aperture: f/3.2
Shutter speed: 1/1250
ISO: 320
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: AF-S VR II Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED

This rule is always relevant, because it is very useful to think through everything in advance. Sometimes fantastic sunrise and sunset photos can happen spontaneously, without any prior planning. But, nevertheless, experience shows that the best photographs are preceded by careful planning. At least a day or two before your photo shoot, research the locations where you expect to get a great view of the sunset. And be sure to ask about the weather forecast for the planned day. Arrive at this place at least half an hour early.

A tripod can be extremely useful. When using it, the image in the photo will be more even. And keep in mind that the sunset glow lasts about an hour and a half, so be prepared to catch this magical transformation.

Different types of sunsets will create a range of various types lights and fancy patterns in the sky.
Also try to be aware of days when extra dust and smoke are released into the air. These fine particles may significantly affect the image and lead to undesirable results.
Overcast, cloudy days can be great for sunset photography! It happens that clouds produce magnificent color images that convey emotions that are understandable and relatable to the viewer.

2) Color capture

Have you ever noticed a sight so beautiful that you wanted to run outside to capture it in a photograph? But to your amazement, after downloading the photo to your computer, the coloring looked a little darkened and all you got was bitter disappointment. The whole point is that human organ vision, our eyes can appreciate intense blue, yellow, Orange color which we see in the sky. But our camera, with its automatic white balance, tries to correct these shades. Unfortunately, this significantly dulls the color, bringing it closer to the so-called “normal”. Several apply to this problem. simple solutions, which we will now consider.

If your camera has a manual white balance setting, then turn off the automatic mode and adjust the balance to the warm side.
If your camera has a lens color setting or you're shooting with a DSLR or SLR, then try taking some photos with a red filter.
Using a compact camera or mobile phone Where such manual settings are not available, use automatic settings which will help the camera to mechanically use best trick and exposure (without flash) for this type of image.

3) Illumination

Light is a key component in successful sunset photography. Its intensity and the angle at which it comes from play a vital role in expressing the mood of the photo. Dawn light always has low intensity and is particularly soft. Of course, the colors are also softened. In the middle of the day, the picture is reversed. And when the sun goes down, the concentration, shape and texture of the light improves. Twilight envelops the sky with pink warmth.

Many beginners' photos are quite often either underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too white or light). But there is a way to manually change exposure to compensate for these discrepancies. Consider the following:

Almost all DSLR cameras have a button for exposure compensation, which looks like a plus and a minus (+/-).
This button can be used in your camera in any non-automatic mode.
Experimenting with exposure to a colored part of the sky on either side of the sun will enhance the different colors throughout the sky.
Honestly, when it comes to sunset photography, there are no correct exposure settings. It all depends on the type of photo you are trying to achieve.

4) Focus

Now that you have set up your camera and decided on the composition of the frame, it is time to shoot. We hope that you have taken the precaution to have a high-capacity memory card in your camera. Because it’s better to shoot more, including by changing the focal length.

A wide angle can create shots with far-reaching landscapes. But if you want the sun to be in the center of the frame, then you will need to change the focal length.

When shooting at slower shutter speeds and at high focal lengths A tripod or some other object that allows you to fix the camera will be very useful. Here are some focusing tips:

Try to focus on the sky. If you leave the camera on auto focus, the sensor may struggle and result in a blurry image.
If you have the option to set the focus to infinity, do so to keep both the sun and the horizon in focus.
Caution: Remember that when you look at the sun through a magnifying glass, it may not be safe for your eyes. First make sure it's not too high in the sky and then point your camera lens at it.

While the clarity of your foreground isn't as important as the sunset, make sure the objects you have present create an amazing silhouette. And to do this, do not forget to turn off the flash.

If you're trying to illuminate foreground objects, the light from the flash will simply be absorbed by the sky. Again, don't forget that there is no wrong way in art. If you want to stand out, use any means possible, including flash!

5) Weather

The most mesmerizing photographs of sunsets are those in which multi-colored clouds in the sky and the same fog. Never neglect shooting under cloudy skies. While you're trying to capture the essence of the sunset, fog will add drama to the horizon. sunlight, passing through the clouds also creates deep red and purple shades, which will help you create a strong scene for exciting viewing.

Try to find a sunset with the sun breaking through the clouds. And don't forget that bad weather can make for a good photo.
Learn to read the sky and try to predict what will happen. It happens that on a cloudy, gray day, far near the horizon you will notice a small piece of clear sky. In this case, you can look for a convenient place to shoot the sunset.

Be creative and have fun.
Every person feels the need to connect with distant places with which memories are associated. Think about how a sunset makes you feel and try to evoke that feeling in the viewer by connecting with them through the photograph.

6) Silhouettes

Like any photograph, sunset photography needs to have a focal point. And one of the best ways Adding interest to any image is to include some kind of silhouette in the frame. It could be something large, like an oak tree, or something that is part of the surroundings, like a fishing pier. You can also use a person for this.

Look for intriguing locations that include attractive shadows, backgrounds, and elements.
Silhouettes always define the mood of an image when placed within the context of your sunset photo.
Placing the silhouette outside the center of the frame is most often good idea to create additional intrigue.

Silhouettes convey drama, anonymity, excitement in a wonderful way. general mood viewers of your photos and often stand out in the album. They create a strong story through the contrast of simplicity. I love them because they don't give the viewer a clear picture of everything, but leave room for imagination.

When the sun completes its path across the sky, a very important moment comes for the photographer, which cannot be missed. How to photograph a sunset correctly?

When photographing a sunset, the most important thing is to guess the time and weather. In cloudy weather, it is unlikely that anything will work out; you can spend 2 weeks at the resort and not wait for suitable conditions. Therefore, at the slightest clearing, you need to be ready.

During sunset, everything happens very quickly, so under no circumstances should you yawn, especially since you have already safely slept through dawn. Light changes quickly, which, coupled with changing weather, can lead to unexpected effects. Things may look pretty bleak at first, but you have to anticipate events.

If you haven’t been able to get sunsets before, it’s not because it’s very difficult. It’s just that you’re either eating or sleeping at this time, so you’re missing out on the fun. The photographer must always be on guard. You need to eat and sleep only when there is nothing left to photograph - day or night. You must be ready to tear yourself away from your chair and run to take a position, even if you feel very tasty and warm right now, because no one will wait for you.

Watch how the colors change over the course of just a couple of hours. Here's about an hour before sunset:

Now the sun is hiding behind the horizon, clouds that were not visible suddenly appeared:

But don't rush to leave. The riot of colors begins 20-30 minutes after sunset. It may seem to you that there are no colors, but in fact they are.

Even if it now seems to you that everything is over, take your time. About an hour after sunset, there will be a short window of time when you can catch the blue-blue sky before it turns to moody blackness:

Such a sky will only last about 10 minutes. There is no Photoshop here, such colors are achieved with patience and perseverance. Moreover, it doesn’t even matter what you photograph with. I once saw interesting sky and grabbed some kind of soap box from someone. The point-and-shoot was on automatic and the first frame upset me a little, because it was not at all what I expected:

Usually my acquaintances show me such photos, telling me what an incredibly beautiful sunset they saw;)

But such sloppiness didn’t bother me at all, because I knew that this was a mistake on the machine that beginners love to shoot with. I switched to P mode, adjusted the exposure by -2 and got exactly what I wanted:

In addition to this trick, if you want to reduce the contrast of the image and bring out the foreground, getting rid of silhouettes, you can try using a gradient filter. However, in this case you will need a darker filter than usual.

In general, if you shoot against the light in the rays of the setting sun, ordinary scenes that are not attractive during the day will appear in a new guise.

If you have just arrived somewhere and don’t yet know exactly what time sunset or sunrise is, then I recommend using a specialized program, of which there are many for smartphones. Then it will be easier for you to plan your day and choose appropriate place for shooting in the evening. For example, for Android there is a good application Golden Hour, and the position of the Sun in the sky will help predict Sun Position.

Don't sleep through the sunset.