How to Take Great Sunset Photos With Your Smartphone Because Yours Sucks
Some things (many things) are just prettier in real life than on social media. Fireworks and your new boyfriend might come to mind at first, but today we’re talking about sunset. No sunset photograph ever seems to capture how stunning the sight was, but it never stopped any of us from trying – over and over again. We click on it, we share it, we say how sorry everyone else couldn’t see it because it’s even nicer live.
If you want to get a really good shot of a sunset, you know that you probably need a real camera, by which we mean “not a smartphone”. But unless you’re a professional photographer – or even an amateur photographer who takes pictures as a hobby – chances are, the only camera you carry with you when the sunset lights up the beach lives in your smartphone. So come on, because a smartphone can take some pretty damn good quality photos these days.
Use these smartphone features to take the best sunset shots
To get started, try using the grid feature in the camera app to make sure you have nice, straight lines running through your shot.
“I think the biggest mistake people make is if the horizon is not straight,” said Jere Hirvonen , a Finnish photographer whose Instagram feed is full of vivid photos of sunsets and nature. “Don’t zoom in, because then the picture quality is not very good.”
One of the interesting advantages of phones over conventional cameras is the ability to edit on the go. Experiment with saturation and depth to brighten your sunset masterpiece. Don’t let lens flare or small specks of light from all that sun ruin your photo. Editing apps have tools to remove it. Snapseed, for example, has a Heal tool that removes glare and keeps focus on the sunset rather than the reflections.
Also, be sure to shoot with your phone’s maximum definition. This will create a lot of depth, which is pleasing in itself, but can also be improved through editing.
Don’t make sunset a theme
If you are on a lake, make boats in the foreground. If you are in the game, take a picture of the players. Try flowers, an abandoned playground, a friend – whatever! Hirvonen advised you to use objects for effect, but not worry too much about what those objects are. A regular sunset photo is cool, but the sky doesn’t always have to be your focus. Getting a little action or an interesting item is a good move.
The lines are good too. Just like the horizon must cross the x-axis, a road, bridge, or building must be straight along the y-axis for a crisp and eye-catching shot.
You can even play around with settings and angles to keep objects in silhouettes, which will accentuate the sunset and add intrigue to the picture. To create a silhouette effect, make sure your subject is directly between you and the light source. Darken and enhance shadows in your photo editor – whether it’s built into your phone or a third-party app – to make your silhouette even more pronounced.
Time is everything when photographing a sunset
A photo taken at the beginning of sunset will obviously be very different from a photo taken just before the sun completely sets.
Experiment with time to find what works best for you. Hirvonen said, “Take the picture as late as possible when the sun is almost down.”
Too much brightness will cause glare and result in loss of contrast (we all did). But if you can curb your zeal, waiting a bit for the sun to set will add depth and clarity, and also give you more colors to work with, whether you’re editing or not.
Get creative with this beauty!
Let the sunset inspire you. Just seeing the sunset isn’t enough to justify the shot all the time. I know you think so! We do everything! But before you start taking pictures, ask yourself, “What could take this one step further?”
Look around for a puddle or body of water. A reflective shot is twice as steep as a straight-ahead sunset, and if the water is moving, you can use an app like Slow Shutter to change the shutter speed, making it three times cooler! Try photographing the sunset between two buildings, or plan your location in some other way. A little extra effort will go a long way and make the painting truly memorable.
If your phone’s camera app allows you to shoot in panorama mode, you can get even more information about your location, whether it’s a cityscape or a hillside. Keep your phone level and use this mode to capture more depth and detail.
In the end – literally – it will be difficult to reproduce or maintain the greatness you experienced in real life, and that’s okay! Enjoy the sunset and let the photography be secondary to living in the moment.