Sunset photo help

I don't know if you're still interested in any advice, but there are a few more things that I would point out that are important for a good sunrise picture. One you have no control over, and that is cloud cover. You don't want to have no clouds because then that makes for a boring sky, but you don't want to have all clouds because then you lose all light and color. I agree with those that mentioned bracketing. You just can't capture all of the details in the foreground and background simultaneously if you shoot at one exposure. I'd also point out that in your original picture you posted, all of your elements are centered in the frame; both the sun and the horizon line. That doesn't usually make for really good composition unless you have both a spectacular sky and spectacular foreground. I'd recommend shooting so that the sun is off center in the frame as well as moving your horizon line higher or lower. If you are lucky enough to have a really stunning sky and the foreground is less interesting, then by all means make 2/3 of your picture be sky and the last 1/3 be foreground. But, if your sky is kind of meh and you have a very interesting foreground, then switch those numbers around. In both of the pictures I'm including, my horizon line is pretty centered. But, my sun is off center and my foreground is interesting, partly because the landscape isn't flat and partly because there are a lot of different elements in them. The first picture was taken in Western Maryland at the goldenest "golden hour" I have ever witnessed. *I took this picture 2 years ago and I actually think I might crop off the bottom inch now after looking at it here. It's unnecessary foreground. I think I kept it originally because I loved how the light hit the grass too* And the second picture was taken in New Zealand.

Just my 2 cents, you can take it for what it's worth.

Thanks for the helpful hints!

The way to conceptualize the "sunset" photos is to treat the sun and sky to be supplemental features to bring out the features on the land/earth. This is where HDR is practical.

If there's nothing to show beneath the sunset line, that's a borderline astro-photography.

Might be something of use at https://www.diyphotogr​aphy.net …nset-colors-in-lightroom/.

Great thread. Thank you all for the great tips.

When I see a new landscape photographer on the islands they seems to all cut corners on one thing, the tripod. They almost always have a very inexpensive one. If you have a good camera or a great camera with a good or great piece of glass mounted to it. Then put in all on top of a inexpensive tripod , you’ll get what paid for.

You don’t have to buy the most expensive tripod , but look for certain features. I always added a hook under mine to hang my bag. The added weigh loads the legs so they press evenly into the ground. Plus it deadens the movement or vibrations.