Okay, so “sunset nj” – sounds simple enough, right? I wanted to capture a killer sunset picture here in New Jersey. I’ve seen some amazing ones online, and I figured, “How hard could it be?” Spoiler alert: it’s not super hard, but it’s not a walk in the park either.
Getting Started
First thing I did was check the weather, because the sun will set no matter what, I have to know the exact time. I used a simple weather app, made sure the location services were on, boom, sunset time displayed. Also checked for cloud cover. A completely clear sky is actually kinda boring for sunsets. You want some clouds to catch the light and color. Today, it stated partly cloudy, so, perfect!
Next, I needed to figure out Where is a good spot. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve a couple of my favorate place to go.
The Scouting Mission
I packed my bag. I am not a profession photograhper, so, I just grabbed my phone, hopped in my car, and head out.
The Waiting Game
- Found my spot.
- Set up my phone.
- Adjusted the view.
- Wait, and wait, and wait…
This is where patience comes in. The best colors often happen after the sun has technically set. You gotta stick around. I’m usually pretty impatient, but I’ve learned with sunsets, it’s worth it. I played some music, scrolled through Instagram, you know, the usual time-killing stuff.
Showtime!
Then, it started to happen. The sky lit up. It was one amazing view I’ve ever seen. I kept snaping pictures. I didn’t even bother messing with the settings. Just point and shoot, point and shoot.
The Aftermath
I ended up with a ton of pictures. Only a few of them were worth sharing. Some were blurry, some were too dark, some just didn’t capture the magic. But the ones that did work? Totally worth it.
So, that’s my sunset adventure. Not exactly rocket science, but a fun little project. And hey, I got some nice pictures out of it. Next time, maybe I’ll try a different location, or maybe even mess around with some actual camera settings. We’ll see!
