Savoring Sunsets— Part One

Chase The Light For Rewarding Shots

How to photograph every aspect of the setting Sun.

Deep Sunset Over Avalon Bay July 3, 2025

Deep sunset over Avalon Bay, with Herring Gulls silhouetted on a sandbar, July 3, 2025.

Follow A Sunset To Reveal Vivid Color

Each sunset is a symphony of light and color, whose personality changes from start, to finish, to the afterglow. As a photographer, recording this entire light show can be very rewarding.Approach a sunset like it's three acts of a play: Act One is the Golden Hour, Act Two is the Actual Sunset, and Act Three is the Blue Hour.The Golden Hour provides warmth, with vivid colors. The Actual Sunset depends on clouds and how dim the sky becomes. In the brief final moments of sunset, the Sun often descends as a red fireball. The Blue Hour can be fleeting or long lasting, as the afterglow paints the sky with rich and later pastel colors.

I especially love photographing sunsets over water, whose ripples and reflections provide character and depth. Compared to shooting sunsets over land, water provides more light to your camera as it reflects the setting Sun.

As the Official Photographer of the Avalon Fishing Fleet, I’m fortunate to photograph sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean and Avalon Bay along the Jersey Shore. There’s something extra special about being on the water to shoot the Sun setting over the water.

While you might not be near water, you can still use my tips and techniques to photograph sunsets wherever you are. To witness a sunset from start to finish and beyond is a wonderful journey. Follow my advice, so you are prepared for every phase of a sunset.

RED ALERT: So much happens before your eyes, but avoid looking directly at the Sun. My Mirrorless camera has an Electronic Viewfinder, so I’m protected from looking directly at the Sun. In between looking into the viewfinder, I use Polarized sunglasses and even Solar Glasses to safely compose my sunset shots.

Deep Orange Sky At Sunset After A Squall

What began as a rainy Dolphin Sunset Nature Cruise aboard the Miss Avalon fishing yacht evolved into an exceptional sunset after the squall July 21, 2022. We doubted we’d even see a sunset. But as we came back into the Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, the Sun dropped below the clouds, and my photo opportunities blossomed.This photo envelopes you with warmth. Certainly, photographing a sunset from aboard the top deck of a moving boat ups the photography degree of difficulty. I’m looking back at the Sun as we cruised deeper into the Bay. But I was so grateful to see— and save— this sunset forever with my camera.To fully capture the vivd color and contrast, use a Circular Polarizer filter. The Polarizer was invented by Polaroid creator Edwin Land, and others later refined it for even more control. Have it ready for the Golden Hour, when the Sun is still relatively high and the colors haven’t yet intensified. The moment the Sun descends enough to begin that beautiful light show, put your Circular Polarizer filter on your lens.The contrast between land, ripples, and sky is exquisite. Here, I let the Sun tell the story just before it dipped below the horizon. The ceiling of clouds dominates the top third of the frame. I love the American Flag proudly waving. The beam of sunlight upon the rippling water provides depth.

Sunset over the bay in Avalon, New Jersey, photographed from aboard the Miss Avalon fishing yacht during a Dolphin Sunset Nature Cruise July 21, 2022.

Sunset paints the clouds orange over Avalon, New Jersey July 2, 2025.

Catch The Afterglow

Sometimes the best part of a sunset appears after the Sun is gone. Clouds add character to sunsets, especially once the Sun is below the horizon. This "sunscape," taken 15 minutes after sunset July 2, 2025, proved worth the wait. Clouds obscured the red fireball at times during the final moments of sunset. So the afterglow was better than the actual sunset. Remember to linger after the Sun is gone. Why would you leave a three-act play after Act Two? The best phase of a sunset can be the afterglow.

Be prepared for all Acts of a sunset. A sunset changes in real time. So adapt with your camera as the Sun fades away.

Stay tuned for Part Two, where we highlight details of sunsets.

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

Setting Sun: ISO 640 or lower, Aperture f13 (for contrast and silhouette details of the horizon), Shutter Speed 1/1,000th Second (though you might have to slow down to 1/500th Second when there is little Sun left above the horizon)

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.

A tripod is useful for consistent shots from the same spot— especially if you want to record the sunset through all phases. I’ve used tripods for sunsets, but favor shooting handheld— for more control over composition. Shooting from a tripod can restrict your field of view of a sunset’s many features. There’s no right or wrong way. But I like to shoot handheld.

If you’re not used to shooting in Manual mode, use Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture, and your camera determines the shutter speed. But make sure your camera uses a shutter speed of at least 1/800th second and preferably 1/1,000th second.

Shooting with a wide aperture (like f4) softens your landscape, and especially makes clouds appear like illustrations.

Shooting with a narrow aperture (like f8 and f11) gives your photos more depth and contrast— often portraying the sunset exactly as your eye sees it. With sunsets over water, a narrow aperture provides detail of ripples.

As the Sun sets, keep adjusting your ISO. Be careful not to let in too much light. The whole mission of shooting a sunset is to capture the light dwindling in the sky. I and other photographers call this “chasing the light,” by modifying your ISO to capture the light you see throughout all phases of sunset. If you use a Circular Polarizer filter, increase your ISO to compensate for the filter darkening your shots.

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!

Sunset Over Avalon Bay From The Miss Avalon Fishing Yacht July 3

Beautiful sunset orange glow and reflections over the bay and islands of Avalon, New Jersey, photographed from the Miss Avalon fishing yacht July 3, 2025.

Want To See More Sunsets And Sunrises? Check Out The Sun Gallery.

Composite Of 6 Photos Showing Sunrise, Sunset, Ocean Wave, Great

A composite of 6 photos savoring the seashore, featuring a sunrise, Great Egret, ocean wave, Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, Osprey with an Atlantic Menhaden fish, and a sunset over the bay, photographed in Avalon, New Jersey from 2021-2025.

Soak Up The Beach With The Seashore 5 By 30 Inches Storyteller Photo.

This composite of 6 photos features sunrise, sunset, a wave, Dolphins, Osprey, and a Great Egret.