Everyone loves a good sunset image. They can appear a bit hackneyed after a while, but a great sunset photo will always appeal to everyone that sees it. It reminds us of this earth and the wonders of nature and the natural world. In this age of digital this and digital that, it is even more important to escape to a world of tranquillity, peace and harmony.
The photographer can enhance this feeling of serenity with his or her images. Use you camera to the best effect. Think about the image you are trying to capture and compose it just as you would any other image. Be sure to use the rule of thirds especially when there is a horizon. The join between the sea (or land) and the sky should, ideally, be one third of the way down the image. This gives a balance which is hard to rationalise but which the eye and the brain likes best.
The next thing to consider is turning off the automatic white balance. Leaving the white balance to the digital camera will produce washed out yellows and reds because the camera sees an abundance of reds, oranges and yellows and thinks it is too much. Turn off automatic white balance and you will get richer fuller tones and hues.
Take some time with the set up and the exposure. You dont want to have an underexposed image so dont meter off the sun itself, but perhaps, just to one side. In lower light, use a tripod.
But hurry sunsets dont last that long, and the view changes quickly and dramatically as the sun is being lost from the sky
Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.
