… a common quest for residents of SWFL and of countless people on vacation.  Who doesn’t appreciate the nightly light show put on by mother nature along the coast?  Every evening throngs of enthusiastic beach goers raise their trusty cameras and look to the West in hopes of capturing the brilliance.  Some will succeed more than others.   Here are my 3 favorite approaches for great sunsets-

Coconut palm silhoutted in front of a Gordon Pass sunset. Photos like this are completed by well placed objects in the foreground.

1-  Take advantage of the summer rains. What?  On days when it rains like mad the skies often clear and leave a few lingering clouds smeared across the evening sky  that electrify the glow.  If you’re close to the beach, make that timing a priority.

2- Create a whole scene. Once the colors are set up and the horizon is saturated in flaming color, start shooting but resist the urge to simply fire away at the empty expanse of sea and air.  Get something or someone in the picture and create a great composition.  A sharp, well placed person or beach fixture silhouetted in the foreground will skyrocket the photo quality.

3- Be sharp. You’ll want the focus quality to be razor sharp in most cases and here are a few easy reminders on how to achieve that.  The closer it gets til dark the more important these tips become:  the easiest is to use a steady rest to minimize camera shake.  As we’ve discussed before that’s everything from a tripod to a beanbag  or a natural rest like a dock piling or mound of covered sand.  You can also increase your camera’s ISO setting and or shutter speed if such adjustments are possible.

Great sunset pictures always highlight a collection of vacation photos, can make for excellent prints and are often used by marketers when promoting the beauty of our area.  Let me know if you have questions about this post and be in touch if you’re interested in sunset and beach images or lessons on how to create them.   Remember, the show starts tonight!

“What can I shoot for you?”

Gordon Campbell

gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com

973-650-7465

Tags: beach, coast, sunset pictures, swfl, vacation

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