I do often find myself seeking uncluttered and distinctive shapes when preparing to photograph sunset. To move beyond a basic sunset snapshot, one generally needs to avoid the urge to make a telephoto picture of just a “flaming fireball” sinking on the horizon. Under certain conditions, a close-up view of the sun can be interesting, but often times it lacks a noticeable mood.
Conversely, too broad of a shot containing a lot of “visual chaos” or a horizon that has not be leveled will also look like an amateur snapshot. While I am not sure that I have yet created any epic sunrise or sunset photos, I do feel like I’ve progressed in my compositions over the past 2 years.
The late afternoon sun silhouettes an old gnarled Plane Tree at Fort Hancock, New Jersey. Photo taken with the Tamron SP 150-600mm VC lens and the Canon EOS 7D.
Exposure settings: 1/2000 F/8 ISO 100
daveblinder 