Sunset photography ideas for homecoming or prom

We are gearing up for homecoming season around here, which means I’ve been going through old photos to look for new posing ideas for this year.

Our oldest son went to two homecomings the past two years because he and his girlfriend attended two different schools. While the first homecoming in September was on a warm summer evening, by mid-October, the girls were freezing in their dresses.

I made a special dinner for two of the couples that we served at our house. In the middle of dinner, I noticed a beautiful sunset outside the window. I asked the kids if they could run outside for a minute to take some photos with the sunset behind them. We only had a few minutes, so the girls slipped on their tennis shoes, and we headed outside.

My mind kind of went blank once they were standing with the sunset behind them. So, it’s good to have a few posing ideas in mind!

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I had to crouch down and shoot up to capture the sunset behind them, rather than a row of houses. Also, adjust your exposure to the light of the sunset, rather than pointing your focal point directly at your subject. You want to aim above their heads at the sky, and then set the exposure a bit lower than you would for a typical photo. This will allow you to capture the vivid colors of the sunset.

Don’t you love the silhouettes? If you have a homecoming in October this year, make sure you watch out for the sunset! It can be gorgeous, but you might only have a few minutes to get your shot!