Before, During, And After Sunset, The Sky Is Your Canvas
Like the photo seen in Part One, I took this from aboard the Miss Avalon fishing yacht about three years later June 23, 2025. With few clouds, I emphasized distance by placing the setting Sun near the top third of the image. High tide flooded Cedar Island (shown at the left) in Avalon, so I made this expanse of water the main body of my composition. The blue sky directly above me is reflected in the blue rather than orange ripples. Details like this bring your sunset photos to life.
Silhouettes Are Goldmines At Sunset
Contrast Is King As The Sun Departs
Here is a prime example of the Circular Polarizer filter bringing out color and contrast your unfiltered camera can't detect.
Catch The Red Fireball Immediately Before Sundown
No doubt one of the hardest aspects of photographing sunsets is capturing the regal red fireball. Not every sunset culminates in a fireball. Even when there is a fireball, the moment doesn't last. So during the final seconds you see the Sun, be prepared to lose light quickly, yet narrow your aperture to achieve the deep red hue you briefly see.
To be specific, I'll break down the previous sentence: So during the final seconds you see the Sun, be prepared to lose light quickly (push up your ISO to 800 or higher), yet narrow your aperture (to f13) to achieve the deep red hue you briefly see.
While using an aperture of f13 and shutter speed of 1/640th second, I boosted my ISO to 800 to compensate for the loss of light— both from my settings and from the end of daylight. Had I shot this at f8, I would not have gotten the red hue I saw. I took this photo while on land (not in a boat), which is why I could use a shutter speed of 1/640th second.
Keep A Lookout For Intriguing Subjects
Here’s a case where looking down brought out the best of sunset. While the afterglow painted the clouds July 2, 2023, the reflection on the ripples of Avalon Bay was awesome! Remember to always look around while shooting sunsets. You just might find a gem to sparkle in your photo. Trees, buildings, and mountains are often painted a beautiful color before, during, and after sunset. So be aware of what’s around you. This photo captures a sunset without even directly photographing the sky.
Every sunset is different. But with the right technique and settings, you can record each aspect to savor it again and again.
General Settings
Settings vary with each sunset and conditions. Here are some baselines to begin with when approaching each phase.
Golden Hour (before the Sun is near the horizon): ISO 800 (especially with a Circular Polarizer filter), Aperture f11 (for more detail and contrast than f8), Shutter Speed 1/1,000th Second
Sun As Red Fireball: ISO 800 or higher to let in enough light, Aperture f13 to get the red hue, Shutter Speed 1/640th Second (or slower at 1/500th Second)
Afterglow Beyond Sunset: ISO 800 or higher, Aperture f8 (depending on how bright or dim your sky is to capture clouds as pastels), Shutter Speed 1/500th Second
Photo Tips
A Circular Polarizer filter is needed to record the rich color and contrast.
There's a lot to account for when photographing a sunset. Jot down a checklist broken up into the three Acts/phases explained in Blog post Part One. For each Act of the sunset, write down baseline settings to follow, plus any tips as reminders.
Review & Refine! Keep checking your shots to see if your settings are good enough. The more you’re willing to improve your settings, the better a photographer you will be!
Want To See More Sunsets And Sunrises? Check Out The Sun Gallery.
Bring Home The Beach With The Seashore 5 By 30 Inches Storyteller Photo.
