The sunset picture

Five tips to capturing the last glow of daylight

By Jamie Allen
CNN

(CNN) -- Jeff Wignall, author of "Kodak Guide to Shooting Great Travel Pictures" (Fodor's), says if travelers want to guarantee that they'll take memorable photos while on vacation, they just need to aim their cameras at one common attraction: the sunset.

"Whatever else you do when you're traveling," Wignall says, "you may or may not get good photos during the day. But if you make an effort to photograph the sunset no matter where you are, you will come back with some interesting photos."

And Wignall believes it's not that difficult to capture dramatic images of the sun's last gasp each day. He offers five tips to help to the amateur photographer who wants to shoot like a pro.

TIP #1: Scout a good location

Wignall says taking a good sunset picture starts long before sundown. He recommends travelers keep an eye out during the day for attractive locations that face west. Then arrive an hour before the sun sets.

"Take a walk around where you're going to be, whether it's a beach or fishing village or mountain pass, and look for something you can use as an interesting foreground," Wignall says.

TIP #2: Use the foreground in sunset pictures to your advantage.

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Without crowding up the viewfinder, Wignall advises selecting a sailboat or fishing dock or rock formation to complement the sunset.

"Just the sky alone has no scale and you can't really tell how big a scene is that you're looking at," Wignall says. "Even if you just include a sea gull in the picture, it gives you some scale."

Also, make sure to focus on the horizon, not the subject in the foreground.

The exception, of course, is taking pictures of people in front of a sunset. Wignall recommends focusing on the person, placing them on the side of the picture frame with the sunset over their shoulder. And use a fill-in flash to make sure they are exposed correctly.

TIP #3: Experiment with exposure

Wignall says for those with cameras that automatically focus and set exposure, aim your camera to the side of the sunset, with the sun out of the viewfinder. Allow the exposure to set, then recompose the picture with the sun in the frame and shoot.

However, "exposure for a sunset can be successful even if you're off by several f-stops," Wignall says. "All you're doing is changing the saturation of the colors and opening up or closing down the shadows in the foreground."

Wignall urges people with manual-exposure cameras to slightly overexpose or underexpose the picture. Experimenting with the light might lead to an even more impressive scene on film.

TIP #4: Shoot away

Wignall says one of the biggest mistakes photographers make is not taking enough pictures of sunsets.

"Once it's down, and once the afterglow is over, it's finished for the day," Wignall says. "You might as well blow a roll of film. It's a horrible thing to have someone show you their pictures and say, 'The sunset got a lot better after that, but I didn't shoot any pictures of it.'"

And don't be trigger-shy.

"Time speeds up when the sun gets close to the horizon and you've got to be ready," Wignall says. "There's a moment when the sun hits the horizon where you get a double image. It seems to be bleeding onto the horizon and that can be really pretty."

TIP #5: Don't give up when the sun goes down

Wignall's favorite time to take sunset pictures is after the sun disappears.

"People tend to walk away the minute the sun goes below the horizon," Wignall says. "Usually the best colors are what's called afterglow. Once the sun goes below the horizon, because of the angle of the clouds and the sun, the clouds will ignite with color. Usually anywhere from a minute to ten minutes after the sunset is the best color, by far."

Of course, if you miss sunset, there's another option: sunrise. Sure, you have to get up early, but Wignall believes the morning sun provides much better light.

"I think sunrise is a lot prettier," Wignall says. "It's usually a pinker sky, a little more violet ... and the light is gentler."