Get Better Lighting in Your Sunset Picture

Our eyes are incredible.  They can adjust to almost any lighting, allowing us to see when there is barely any light or in direct sunlight.  Our cameras are far more limited.  All too often, we struggle to capture something that looks gorgeous to our eyes like a sunset.  Below is a trick that will help you get better lighting in your sunset pictures.

The Problem: The Sky is White!

Frequently, the difference between a great photo that perfectly captures a sunset and a photo of what appears to be a mostly white sky has to do with exposure.  It can be incredibly frustrating when you are looking at a beautiful sky and, despite how gorgeous it looks to your eyes, the camera continues to turn the whole sky white.  The problem is that the camera can’t handle both the bright light (of the sky) and the lack of light (of the subject on the ground).  There is far more light in the sky than there is on the ground, which floods the camera and turns the sky white.

The Solution: The Sky Looks Awesome!

Much like the pupil in your eye, your camera has the ability to change the amount of light that comes into it.  When it is very bright, the camera lets in less light.  And you have the ability to tell the camera what you want it to look at when it decides how much light to allow in.  All you have to do is aim your camera at whatever you want to show up and push halfway down on the shutter button (the button you push to take a photo).  While all cameras are a bit different, it will probably beep and/or flash up some boxes on the LCD screen.  As long as you continue to hold the shutter button halfway down, you can move the camera and aim it at whatever you want.  When you push the button all the way down, the camera will take the photo.

To give a tangible example, let’s return to the sunset and a subject on the ground.  If I wanted to shoot the sunset, I would aim my camera up at the sky and hold the shutter button halfway down.  After I hear it beep and/or see the boxes flash on the screen, I would continue to hold the button halfway but I would move my camera until I have composed the photo the way that I want.  I would then push the shutter button down all the way and revel in how beautifully I have captured the sunset.  (Note: In this particular example, the ground will come out dark since I am telling the camera to prioritize the sunset.  In situations that have a wide range of lighting, you will have to choose what is the most important subject to have properly lit.)

Make Those Clouds Stand Out Too!

This same technique will work for any photo that has an area that is light and an area that is dark.  It also works particularly well for taking photos of big, white clouds in a rich blue sky floating above a subject on the ground.  Again, the ground will become dark, but the clouds and the sky will stand out.

I hope that this tip is useful.  Experiment with it and see how it works for you.  Happy shooting!