Essentials of Splendid Sunset Photographs

Whenever we think of beautiful landscapes, picture of sun dipping down the horizon instantly appears in our mind.Undeniably, a sunset picture makes a beautiful landscape but in order to capture the beauty of sunset at its best, there few things one must be aware of.

 

Here are few essentials of taking spectacular sunset pictures:

Hunt for Location - For a successful shoot, searching for a suitable location in advance is a wise idea. Pick a location that is not crowded and out of the way of road to avoid any disturbance. Visit the chosen location in daylight before the shoot to ensure view of the horizon is smooth and clear. The second thing to decide after location is time, the best timing will vary depending whether you are shooting sunrise or sunset. You can even figure out best timing for shoot by using various apps or online tools.

Foreground - In order to add depth to the scene, find the foreground first. Add an element of interest in the foreground like a pond, pier, and rock. In addition, to adding depth to the picture, it gives dramatic finishing to it. By speeding up shutter speed, you can also create interesting silhouettes in the foreground.

Aperture and Exposure Settings - When capturing sunset, use a small aperture such as f8, f9 to exploit depth of field and get a sharp image throughout. However, when shooting landscapes it is best to shoot in manual mode as it gives more flexibility in terms of exposure compensation. Most preferred camera settings are shooting in aperture priority mode with exposure compensation. In addition, a low ISO should be maintained to ensure minimum noise in the final shot.

Shoot Raw - Shooting Raw is the best option especially when shooting sunsets. It gives more option to play with the picture in terms of exposure setting, adjusting white balance, level of brightness or contrast and more without reduction in image quality. By shooting in jpeg, limited changes can be done.

Multiple Shots - You can never create a perfect shot just in one click, irrespective of the camera settings. Be creative in order to capture a spectacular shot. A landscape scene keeps changing within a fraction of minutes. Try shooting from different angles, and allow different subjects to fill the frame, play with exposure settings, more you shoot chances are variety of dynamic shots you will end up with.

Proper Gear - Proper gear is essential in order to capture the perfect shot you are aiming for. In sunset, there are low light conditions, to give a steady base to camera and shoot without interruptions tripod is required. Secondly, a wide-angle lens is preferred, allowing you to capture more vast and inclusive portion of the scene.

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