Sunset, the magical moment when light fades to let darkness fall. The buildings turn orange before turning into panels of fireflies and the sky is recreated displaying infinite hues, beginning with the warm ones that give way to the blues and violets that shelter the night. From the golden hour to the blue hour and from the blue hour to total darkness, when the cities sleep and dream of a new day. From the working day to the intimate and personal space of family, friends, leisure… That moment in which minds relax and let themselves be carried away by the warmth of the environment before taking refuge at home, when the sun faces you before I say see you tomorrow… Dusk is that moment when the sun wraps cities in gold foil to give them to the moon.
For all this, we can say that the sunsets in the city are also really beautiful and worth photographing. It is not necessary to look for a beautiful landscape to capture your sunset, go to the mountains or to the beach, you just need to know how to photograph the sunset in your city. To do this, today we travel through a gallery of sunsets in cities as inspiration.
1. Look for reflections
Sunset is a perfect time to photograph the sky reflected in water. If your city has a river, sea, a large pond, or even puddles formed by rain, take advantage of this moment to capture the golden or orange reflection and ensure that the sky has a continuity beyond the horizon, or rather more “here” 😉 .
Another good option is that the reflection of the sky is accompanied by a monument, as in this image of the Temple of Debod, in Madrid, where there are some spectacular sunsets.
2. Capture the holidays
Only with the silhouette, the author of this image has managed to convey the festive spirit of that day in the city of Seville. A beautiful backlight in which the sun sneaks through the famous Triana bridge. You can portray, as here, symbols or icons of the festival or decorative elements such as banderillas or lanterns, or even the silhouettes of typical costumes.
In the following image a party has also been photographed. On this occasion it was in the blue hour, that moment in which the sun has already disappeared but there is still some clarity and the lights shine more than ever to keep the star and the moon company in a sky that is about to flood of stars.
3. Let the sky “frame” the statues
The sunset can give you a beautiful and incomparable background for the statues or sculptures of your city. He changes the perspective and instead of portraying these figures with a building (not necessarily worth photographing) he shoots with the setting of the sunset. It can also be a good resource if your lens does not allow a wide aperture to blur the background and this is “annoying”.
4. Shoot the “jewels” at the moment they shine the most
Every city has some “jewel”. It is true that not all cities have a wonder like this, but surely they have one (or several) to boast about. And what better time to immortalize them with your camera than when the sun gives them that golden color that makes them shine more than ever?!
5. Get high
The panoramic view offered by the roofs of many cities is quite a spectacle, but for this you cannot stay at road level. Take advantage of the rooftops of the tallest buildings and show that part of your town that passers-by can hardly appreciate at a time when the view is made up of a set of architecture bathed in the same color tone.
6. Climb even higher
Is there a hill nearby? Any lookout? If you have a place that offers a panoramic view of the entire city, do not hesitate to grab your camera at sunset and climb to the top to capture all its immensity under a beautiful orange blanket.
The following image is made from a skyscraper, specifically the Empire State. The views are incredible and the moment when the orange stripe divides the sky and the earth, separates the divine from the earthly and gives way to the night, is truly unique.
7. Look for the sky among the chaos
Between the architectural maelstrom, the traffic and other metropolitan elements, you can find little pieces of heaven that contrast with the cement, the asphalt, the cables and the satellite dishes. That contrast can be really wonderful at sunset time. Are you going to miss it? 😉
8. Highlight architectural silhouettes
Surely there is a building in your city that you would recognize only by its silhouette. And the best silhouettes are obtained during sunrise or sunset, so I recommend that you take advantage of this time to outline your favorite architectural elements.
9. Go to the parks
In the parks you can always find some endearing “picture”, a story to tell, a sunset among vegetation…
10. Practice street photography
If you don’t know what I mean, or the term “Street Photography” doesn’t sound familiar to you, be sure to read this article, because sunset is also a perfect time for this style of photography. If you don’t believe me, take a look at these two examples of images taken in the “golden hour” of Prague.
11. That your city has a beach?!!!
Well, don’t limit yourself to photographing the sunset at sea. The beach itself, its movement, its life at sunset is really worth capturing. If you don’t think you can get a beautiful image of the beach with buildings in the background and/or a lot of people, you only have to look at the following image to convince you otherwise.
12. Photograph the bridges…
…its sights and its stories. There are those who have a weakness for bridges, maybe you are not from this group, but I am sure that when you see these two images you will realize how much a bridge can gain at sunset. What are you already thinking about that bridge in your city? 😉
13. “Love is in the air…”
I imagine that you already know very well how romantic the sunset is, right? Songs, movies, soap operas, advertising… take care of reminding us every day. And it is true, it is an ideal time for romance and couples photographs. And best of all, you don’t need models. Take a walk around the city, surely you have a story to tell like the one in the following image.
You already have some tips and plenty of inspiring examples. And I insist, inspiring, to inspire you, not to copy them as is. Although in this case it is very difficult, for two reasons, one because no two sunsets are the same and two, because to copy one, unless you live in that city… you have it complicated 😉 But these images have surely served to prove that not only beautiful sunsets can be captured at sea or in the countryside. The city also hides magical sunsets. What are you waiting for to photograph them?
Thank you once again for making it to the end. If you liked it, I would appreciate it if you shared it so that others can also enjoy these wonderful city sunsets. Until next time!