The Art of Taking Sunset Pictures

Sun setting in Ontario

Having Fun Taking Pix of the Sun

For many years I've been taking pictures of the setting sun. Sunset pictures are immortal, ever since photos became common amongst the public a good pic of the setting sun has been a "keeper" for many a photographer. After taking literally hundreds of sunset shots I know a few things:

• No two sunsets are the same. Depending on time of year, sun angle, atmospheric conditions and other variables, a camera setting that takes a good pic the previous day may not be right the next day. 
• Be careful when you focus on the sun, it is important you don't look directly at the sun itself as you can damage your eyes.
• Experiment with your shutter speeds and f-stops, change them up and see what you get. 
• The look of the sun can change every 10 or 15 seconds, especially as it dives beneath the horizon. 
• Have fun, use things like trees and clouds to give your image some perspective. Don't center every shot, use the principle of "thirds"" when composing your image.

Here's a few images I've taken over the past few years.