Summer Storms: Sunsets

Cecret Lake Trailhead looking down Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.  

When the clouds gather grab your camera and get out there!

Photographing Sunsets

Essentials:

1. Tripod

2. Filters - Graduated Neutral Density Filters

3. Shutter Release Cable (or use the 2-sec timer)

Tips:

1. Get set up before the sun sets - this moment lasted only a few minutes, if that.

2. Pre-visualize your shot beforehand so you can have everything ready (composition, lens selection, filter, camera settings, etc.)

3. Stay until the stars come out.  The most dramatic colors can, and usually will, be when the sun has set and just before it gets dark.  As the great Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over 'til it's over".

4. Be in the right place at the right time.  I would say this is possibly more important than any gear or knowledge you can have of photography.  Being there is half of it.  What good is it if your content is boring?  

5. Watch the clouds, watch the skies.  Dramatic skies during the day will most surely develop dramatic sunsets.  Figure out which clouds and conditions bring the best light and at what time?  This takes a lot of practice, but can be one of the most important bits of knowledge for a landscape photographer.