Viewing Sunsets: 4 Photogenic Sunset Locations

There's nothing like sitting alongside a friend, family member, or loved one to watch a beautiful sunset. Some are photogenic, others slightly more clouded and obscured, but all sunsets offer an amazing opportunity to chat, connect, and remember what life's about. It's one of those settings where anyone, regardless of their life or mindset, can relax, unwind, and appreciate humanity.

They're also, unsurprisingly, a favourite for photographers, videographers, and visual artists. The sunset has long been an integral part of still life art, particularly amongst painters. While the well-known photography adage suggest not shooting into the sun, millions of photographers across the world have done just that, often producing results that are truly stunning and amazingly pretty.

These four sunset locations could be the most photogenic in the world. From mountain vistas to stunning beachfront island spots, these terrain types and locations should appear on your photo-taking to-do list. They're all fairly easily accessible, appearing in the majority of countries, and available to most photographers in Australia with little more than a short car journey.

1. In the hills or on a mountain

Mountainous sunsets are a mainstay of commercial photography, having been used as a setting for wedding shoots, epic films, and other well-known pieces of visual art. With sweeping views and a comforting lack of civilisation visible, they're the ultimate in 'epic' photography locations.

Unfortunately, they're also quite difficult to photograph. Digital SLR users should check that their depth of field is set as wide as possible, allowing them to capture both background and foreground activity. Perfect for romantic and memorable occasions, mountain sunsets can be very beautiful.

2. At the beach

Beach sunsets can be incredibly pretty when captured properly. From the classic silhouettes-in-the-sand shot to more advanced exposure shots, beach photography is equal parts memorable and quite soothing to observe. It's a particularly popular location for couples, especially on warm evenings.

Capturing a beach sunset is simple – set your camera's exposure setting to the background. This will allow you to produce the classic black on orange silhouette photograph that's seen so often in movie scenes and magazines. Highly romantic and very beautiful, these shots are perfect for couples' gifts.

3. Against the city skyline

Few shots can capture urban intensity as nicely as a silhouette of tall buildings against a vast orange sky. It's even better when they manage to capture the heat and vibrance of a destination, particularly that of a rich and interesting tropical city, waterfront business district, or dense urban area.

City photography is difficult enough on its own, and throwing an exposure-killing sunset in tends to make it even tougher. Set your camera for a wide focus so that both the background sunset, the city skyline, and any miscellaneous details in the sky are completely visible.

4. At the end of a stretching road

Need to indicate significance, progress, and development? Capture the sun as it sets towards the end of a busy desert or country road. This location shot is perfect for Australian photographers, as few countries can match the amount of arid countryside and picturesque farmland on offer here.

To capture a long, straight road effectively, set your camera's aperture setting to its highest possible point. This will force your camera to focus on the vanishing point – the spot at which the road meets the sunset. While difficult to capture, these sunsets can be immensely beautiful and very symbolic.