A while ago I posted an old article of mine, with tips for taking better sunset photographs. This is one of the most-read posts on my blog, but when I look up the search terms, people are not looking for how to take a good sunset photo; they want to know how to predict a good sunset.
Makes sense really, because sunset photos are very easy to take. In fact it is the reason I don’t sell many of my sunset photos – everyone has one or two of their own. However, most of their shots are just the product of lucky timing. They happened to be in the right place at the right time, and got a great shot almost by accident.
So the trick is not taking the photo. The trick is knowing how to predict a good sunset to have a better chance of being ready with your camera when the moment arrives. I don’t mind giving you my favourite tip. It won’t cost me any sales, because like I said…nobody buys the darn things anyway!
Glasshouse Mountains, Qld
Your best results will come if you watch the skies earlier in the afternoon. Look for high, thin clouds that stretch right across the sky. Your best chance is if there is a single layer of high cloud, NOT when there are further layers of thicker clouds underneath. In my region (South East Queensland, Australia) these clouds most often form in winter.
Great Ocean Road, Victoria
Look to the west where the sun will go down. Is there a lot of heavy cloud on the horizon? If so, it will reduce your chances A LOT. You see, for a great sunset, the sun has to light up the high cloud from underneath. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a great sky, set myself up for a sunset photo, only to be disappointed when the sun could not get past a single big fat cloud on the horizon.
The cloud formation in this photo is spectacular, but notice the heavy cloud on the horizon. As the sun sinks, there would be little chance of the sun breaking through to produce a colourful sunset.
If you do your job, and mother nature does hers, you should find it pretty easy to predict a sunset just by watching your skies. However, there is one more useful tip I can give you. A good sunset is only as good as the foreground.
Maleny, Qld
Like I said, everyone has seen and photographed at least one fantastic sunset sky. So to take a photo that will really impress, you need to do more than just find a good sky and point your camera at it. For a really good shot, you need to give it some kind of reference point that will set it apart from the millions of other photos out there. So look for something that stands up against the sky and produces a good silhouette. It doesn’t need to be anything dramatic…just something with a good shape that will show that you have put a little extra imagination into your work.
Maleny, Qld
If you have been in search of your great sunset photo, I hope these tips help. As always, I invite you to check out my website www.naturesimage.com.au and join my newsletter mailing list for monthly free tips on photography.
Lake Baroon, Maleny, Qld
Tags: andrew goodall, clouds, landscape photography, photo, photography, predict, predict a good sunset, sunset, sunset photography
