It’s a great feeling to sit on a beach watching the setting sun disappear into the ocean or stand at a lookout point while the sun sets behind the mountain ridge. Pastel shades of blue, yellow, orange and red fill the sky creating a magical or surreal appearance of some far away place seen only in fairytales.

Here are some tips on how to capture those moments with your digital camera:

Arrive early. Get to the location for your sunset pictures at least ½ hour before the sun sets to give yourself enough time to choose the best possible spot and to get your equipment set up. Don’t forget that the closer you are to the equator, the faster the sun goes down.

Use a tripod. The correct exposure will usually result in a longer shutter speed. The picture will turn out blurry if you try to handhold the camera so I recommend using a tripod. Even the movement caused by your finger pushing the shutter button can cause blurry pictures. Also, if you can, use a shutter release or the camera’s timer.

Include foreground objects. Trees, rocks, mountains, boats, people, animals, etc. placed in the foreground and silhouetted against the setting sun add dimension, depth and interest to your sunset images.

Avoid centering the horizon. You can control the placement of the horizon by simply tilting your camera up or down.  If the sky is the most interesting part of your image, then add more sky by tilting the camera up towards the sky. If the foreground is more interesting, then tilt your camera towards the ground.

Turn the flash off. You want to capture the natural light and colors produced by the setting sun so make sure your flash is turned off.

Use the “Sunset Mode.”  Many of the point and shoot cameras as well as some of the more advanced cameras have special scene modes that set the camera parameters to enhance the type of picture that you’re taking. One of the scene modes is called “Sunset Mode.” Using this mode will help with the exposure and enhance the beautiful colors that usually accompany a sunset.

Try shooting vertically. We usually shoot sunsets horizontally but try turning your camera and shooting the sun in a vertical format for a different perspective.