3 Simple Tips For Better Sunset Photographs

Words by Scott Bourne - A Platypod Pro
Edited by Eryka Bagwell



Everyone likes a good sunset photo. Here are three simple tips for making better sunset photographs that you can use to improve your own sunset pictures.

1. Use a circular polarizer to bring out the best colors and to better see the clouds. You just put the filter in front of your lens, turn it until you see the colors become more saturated and you’re ready to shoot.

2. Stop down to get the sun burst effect. I made the image attached to this post by setting my aperture to f/11. Because I use mirrorless cameras, which deliver a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) through the electronic view finder, I could stop down until I saw the star burst and knew I had the right f/stop. This effect is easier to get on wider angle pictures because wider angle lenses tend to have more diaphragm blades.

Try to position the sun so it intersects with an important part of your image. In this case I selected the cradle of the cactus arms for that job.

3. Find a good, interesting, foreground object for your sunset. While all sunsets are pretty, having a good foreground object that you can silhouette, really makes the photograph more attractive. The cactus was a fine foreground object.

CONCLUSION

I hope these tips have helped you. Give them a try and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun.

Visit the Platypod store to check out all the new sales (especially our Platyball Overstock Sale which ends March 8th at midnight PST) to boost your creativity. Click Here  

If you have a final image and BTS that you’d like to share and potentially be featured on our blog (newsletter or social media pages), please contact us via service@platypod.com.