Everyone enjoys photographing sunrises and sunsets, but sometimes they can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you get an amazing shot.
1. Plan ahead, and take time. Spontaneous photos can be good, but with sunrises and sunsets it's best to plan. Think of where you want to photograph- a park, the ocean, or the mountains. Sunrises and sunsets are unique "subjects" because they are always changing, and you will have very different shots that are minutes apart. Take time to observe the changing light, and clouds.
2. Stay out late, or wake up early. The sun does not necessarily have to be in a sunrise or sunset photo. You can either stay out after the sun has set, or get up early before the sun rises. Because the sun is so bright, the contrast with the morning or evening sky can be drastic, and it will be easier when the sun is not in the frame.
3. Play around with bracketing. What bracketing allows you to do is get 3 of the same shot with different exposures. All you do is properly expose your first shot, and then take the additional two shots with one overexposed by one stop, and the other underexposed by one stop. So, if your first shot is at F8, the next two will be at F5.6 and F11.
4. Look for silhouettes. Silhouettes are created when you have a properly exposed background, and the objects in the foreground are dark. To achieve this, find an area of the sky to set a good exposure, and then compose your photograph.
5. Take a tripod with you. Just in case the lighting is low and you want a long exposure time, you will be prepared.
6. Try different settings on your camera. The "cloud" and "shade" settings, as apposed to the auto white balance, will create warm tones.
Remember to have fun photographing sunrises and sunsets. Also, use the unique light to photograph the landscape around you. To get more in focus, you can use F16 or F22.