Great Sunset Portraits

©ISTOCKPHOTO/KEVIN RUSS

Everyone wants to shoot portraits at sunset because the sky is so gorgeous, but the problem generally is that (a) your subject either comes out as a silhouette because the sunset is behind them, or (b) you use a flash and your subject looks washed out. Here's how to get great portraits at sunset without washing out your subject: start by turning off your flash and aim at the sky. Then hold your shutter button halfway down to take an exposure reading from the sky, and while still holding the shutter button halfway down (or you can turn on the exposure lock button on your digital camera), recompose the shot by aiming at your subject, but now turn the flash on and reveal your subject with the light of the flash. This way, your subject gets fill flash, but the sky behind them still looks great. It's an old trick, but it's still around because it works so well.