(Photo credit for my profile picture www.wilmaricrouse.com)
Visitors to Grand Cayman love to take photos of sunsets and the island offers many opportunities to do that. Here are some suggestions on how to take the best sunset photos with your mobile phone:
As with any other photo there are a few universal principles that will help you significantly improve your sunset photography, even with your phone.
1 I Focal Point
As with all photos, sunsets need a point of interest that draws the viewers attention and makes the photo interesting. One of the best ways to achieve that is to incorporate some sort of silhouette into the shot. This could be something that is part of the environment like a palm tree, a dock [pier] or a person watching the sunset. The great thing about silhouettes is that they can add mood and context to an otherwise ordinary sunset shot.
How to capture silhouettes:
- Make sure the subject is directly between you and the sun’s light.
- Darken the foreground slightly. To do this, simply hold a finger down on your phone screen until the yellow sun box appears, then slide your finger up or down to where you want the exposure to be.
- Darken your shadows using your phones editing capabilities after you have taken the picture to create a more dramatic contrast.
2 I Composition
We always get taught to place things nicely in the middle. However, in photography, positioning your subject off-centre actually creates a more balanced and harmonious composition, which is referred to as “the rule of thirds”. This is equally important for sunsets – try to place elements like the horizon, sun or silhouettes off centre to create a more interesting image.
[Bonus Tip! Don’t forget to straighten your horizon line – simply use the straightening tool in your editing mode to straighten your horizon and create clean lines to achieve an optimal visual balanc.]
3 I Perspective
Sometimes the best picture comes from an alternate angle. Try experimenting by getting high up to add a different perspective to an otherwise ordinary photo. The Camana Bay Observation Tower is a great example of getting a high vantage point that shows the vastness of Grand Cayman’s beauty.
