How to take a picture of a sunset - by 7th grader Jonathon G

  Have you ever looked at the sky, saw a nice sunset, and taken a picture of it? If not, here’s your encouragement to do so! If you would like to capture a picture of one of the many sunsets you may see in your life, here are the steps you can take in order to secure your chance for a great picture:

Step 1: Check The Weather

When planning, make sure to check the weather every day, as you do not want to go outside just for it to be rainy, cloudy, or even snowing (depending on the time of year). Whenever you feel like finding that perfect sunset, check the weather. Then if it's sunny all day, you’ll have your chance!

(Sunset Taken From a Bus Window - Jonathon Giron)

Step 2: Gather Supplies / Plan Your Location

The supplies you will need to take a photo are quite simple,  as you can use anything from a phone or tablet to a camera. Additionally, when planning a location make sure you get a good angle of the sun or the sky. Something like a window facing the sun or an open area are sufficient.

  (Sunset Over a Lake - Jonathon Giron)

Step 3: Editing (Optional)

Editing a photograph can really change the feeling you can get from it. To start editing, grab a photoshopping app. It can be anything from a website to an actual app. One I personally recommend is Fotor. 

With a sunset, you give it any kind of mood from a relaxing one to even a sad one. In order to make a sunset picture relaxing, you will have to make the photo less sharp, highlight the warmer colors in the sky, and make the ground darker. To make it more romantic, you can either add a more red or pink hue to the photo, highlight the pink and red colors, and make it brighter or darker to your liking. Then finally, for a more sadder tone, you can change the hue of the photo to a more blue one, make it slightly darker, and desaturate the photo slightly so that the colors are more dim.

    (Sunset in a Shoprite Parking-lot - Jonathon Giron)

These are a bunch of steps you can take to photograph a sunset! Planning can be optional if you want, but please make sure to bring a device that is able to take photos when you do this! This can be a lot of fun and can even become a hobby of yours. Though overall, you really want to make sure you have the time, good enough weather, and a great location when taking these photos.

Have a wonderful day or night!