Sunsets

Photographs of sunsets are among the most beautiful and colorful of all photographs.  Like many photographic opportunities, skill, luck and preparation increase the odds of getting a "keeper".

During a sunset, there can be so many levels of brightness that, sometimes, almost any exposure setting will produce a striking image.  The generally accepted wisdom is to avoid getting the exposure information directly from the sun or brightest areas.  For many cameras, this means don't center the sun in the frame.

Another good tip is to be certain that the flash is turned off unless there is an interesting subject in the near foreground.   Subjects in the near foreground will always be in near silhouette without a bit of flash.  For many people, the silhouette adds to the feeling of sunset.

Since the sun is rather far away, set the focus distance at infinity (mountain icon on some cameras). 

If possible, set a small aperture (large f-stop number), for example, f16, or use the landscape setting on some cameras.

With a darkening sky, the flash off, and a small aperture, the shutter speed may be too slow for a sharp hand held exposure.  Time to set up the tripod.