Beginner sunset photography tips

Sunsets are full of opportunity. The warm tones really bring out great portraits, landscapes and even some cracking silhouettes. Learn how to photograph beautiful sunsets with these five smart photo bootcamp tips.

1. Use high shutter speeds

If you're photographing directly into the sunset you'll need to expose for the brightest point. And that is the sun. So make sure that your shutter speeds are quite high.

2. Create a gridline in your viewfinder

You can superimpose a gridline in the viewfinder of your DSLR that will help with horizons and also with rule of thirds. This helps to capture the horizon nice and straight and get the best from your composition. 

3. Change from auto white balance to the shade setting

This is a great tip to really get the most out of a sunset and bring out those golden yellows and oranges.

4. Set your camera between f/8 and f/11 to get the right depth-of-field

For sunsets or any landscape photographs, getting a great depth-of-field is important so set your camera between f/8 and f/11 and then adjust your shutter speeds to get the correct exposure.

5. Don't limit yourself to taking photos directly into the sun

Use that beautiful golden light to get other stunning shots, especially portraits or use the light to enhance a landscape or architectural shot.