How to Photograph a Sunset?
My journalist colleagues regularly make fun of me about this, because I often spend time photographing sunsets along the Côte d’Opale, from Berck to Calais, via Wimereux and the Two Capes area. Even though it brings nothing from a strictly journalistic point of view, the light is particularly beautiful there, especially in autumn and winter, and photographing a sunset is a real treat for both the eyes and the photographer. You never get tired of it! But how do you photograph a sunset?

Essential equipment

A single camera body is sufficient, with good high-ISO performance. Burst rate does not matter: this is landscape photography.

Using several lenses allows you to vary your compositions, but the essential thing is to have a telephoto lens:
– A standard telephoto lens 70-200mm: Canon 70-200 f/2.8, Tamron 70-200 f/2.8, Sigma 70-200 f/2.8, Nikon 70-200 f/2.8, or Fujifilm 50-140.
– Optionally, a long telephoto lens: a 300mm, a 400mm, or even longer. Personally, I systematically use a Canon RF 100-500mm L for a sunset, which allows me to “reach” for the Sun and give it more presence in the image.

Recommended settings

Before reading the rest of this guide, I recommend reading the photography basics to expose your image correctly (neither too dark nor too bright). In short, landscape photography requires a large depth of field, meaning a large area of sharpness. To achieve this, simply stop down the aperture.
The main standardized aperture values are: f/2.8, f/3.5, f/4, f/4.5, f/5.6, f/6.3, f/8, f/9, f/11, f/13, f/16, f/18, f/20, f/22, f/25.
The larger the number after f/, the greater the area of sharpness. So for a sunset photograph, as there is less light than during the day, choose intermediate values between f/5.6 and f/11.

Prefer RAW over JPEG so that you can adjust the white balance and, above all, potentially correct the exposure. This format makes it easy to correct an exposure error (an image that is too dark or too bright) and offers better dynamic range (highlights that are not blown out and shadows that retain detail).

For the exposure mode, there are two possibilities:

– Le mode priorité à l’ouverture du diaphragme (AV chez Canon, A chez Nikon) : on choisit l'ouverture de l’objectif (exemple f/6.3) et la sensibilité ISO (exemple 2000). Le boîtier calcule lui-même la vitesse d’obturation à adopter pour bien exposer l’image. Simply adjust the ISO sensitivity to obtain a sufficient shutter speed. By sufficient, I mean that without a tripod or image stabilization, the shutter speed should be at least the reciprocal of the focal length used to avoid camera shake caused by the photographer’s movements (which causes the lens to move during the exposure; allow some additional margin if you have had a drink).
Example: if you use a 70-300mm lens at its maximum focal length, 300mm, you need a shutter speed faster than 1/300. Since that exact setting does not exist, choose the closest one: 1/320 or 1/400.
For reference, here are some standard shutter-speed values: 1/1000, 1/800, 1/640, 1/500, 1/400, 1/320, 1/250, 1/200, 1/160, 1/125, 1/100.
This rule can be relaxed with a lens that has image stabilization (although it is not magic): instead of shooting at 1/320, for example, you may be able to go down to 1/100. This has little benefit when there is plenty of light.

– Manual mode (M on Canon and Nikon): you choose the shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity. The camera indicates in the viewfinder whether the image is correctly exposed; simply adjust one of the three parameters to get the correct exposure. This mode is the most complex, but the most effective once mastered.
To emphasize the backlit effect, do not hesitate to underexpose the image by 1 stop, and/or use Live View to check whether you like the result.

Framing and composition

Framing, composition and location: these are the most important things for making your image aesthetically pleasing; technique is ultimately secondary.
A sunset with the sea and sand in the foreground: what could be more ordinary? It could have been taken anywhere. Try to include clues in the image so that the viewer can guess the location. What will make the difference are the elements in your composition, and therefore the place where you are standing. By the water, the composition will not necessarily be ideal: step back to include other backlit elements in your photograph: a ship, a monument, walkers, a kitesurfer, an animal, a cliff, a couple holding hands...
This is also where a long telephoto lens really makes sense: the Sun will appear larger, and you can move farther back to find the ideal spot.

You do not need to be an excellent photographer to get a beautiful sunset, but you do need to know the best spots in your area by heart, and/or scout locations over several days. Where does the Sun set, and at what time? Once you have found a good spot, you can return the next day or the day after if the weather is on your side.
You can use smartphone apps such as Photopills (iOS et Android) ou Sun Surveyor (Android) for advance scouting.

PS: All the sunset photographs in this article were taken in my region, Pas-de-Calais, and to a lesser extent in the Nord department. The Hauts-de-France region is pretty nice, isn’t it? ;)