Sunsets are one of Mother Nature’s more elusive subjects, and achieving an image which is as vibrant and crisp as the one shown here takes time and practice. A camera with manual control is your weapon of choice, as the success of the image relies on getting the exposure spot on. A fast, long lens will also help, but make sure you use a tripod to stabilise your camera. Composition is key; a majestic sunset can look dull without some foreground interest. Any foreground subject will be thrown into silhouette, so make sure that it has a recognizable outline. A small aperture will be needed and you’ll almost certainly need to use the manual focus set to infinity to ensure depth throughout the frame – your autofocus can easily be fooled in the low lighting conditions. Remember that the sky is the most important element of your composition, so make sure that you meter for that in Spot metering mode. Finally, set your white balance  anually to a colour temperature between 3,000K and 5,000K, or take a reading off a grey card. Shooting in RAW is beneficial, as you can tweak the white balance in post production, and you should bracket your shots at different exposures so that you can merge images if needed. Filters can come in useful for sunset shots. A polariser will add contrast and definition to an image, or try a graduated filter in orange or magenta (or whatever colour you wish to enhance), or a dedicated sunset filter.

1. Silhouettes

Sunset is the perfect time to create silhouettes, but make sure that your subject is a recognisable shape with clear definition so that it doesn’t blend into the background. Take a meter reading from the sky and bring the aperture down a
stop for a vibrant backdrop and a crisp outline of your subject.

2. Perfect exposure

The key to a perfect sunset lies in the exposure and overcoming the challenges associated with low-light photography. Use a small aperture to help maximise depth throughout the scene and use manual focus wherever possible. An on-screen histogram will help a great deal – you’re looking for the levels to be
evenly and centrally placed. If you’re using a compact with no manual settings, see if there’s a designated Sunset scene mode.

3. Flaring up

You can avoid any flare effect by making sure that you use a lens hood (or, if you’re using a compact, shield the lens with your hand). Make sure that your lens is clean (as the light will show up dust and scratches) and a smaller aperture setting may help too. Finally, wait until the sun is just about to disappear, so that it takes up only a fraction of the frame.

4. Reflections

Water often features in sunset shots because it enables you to double up on the fantastic colours present in the sky – especially great for fans of symmetry! Here, the reflection of the boat adds depth, and the reflected sunlight seems more extensive in the sky than it actually is. The latter is important as it means you can wait until the sun is almost set, avoiding flare, but not losing any of its impact..