Sunset photos are difficult, especially depending on where you take them.
The brightness is from overexposure. I'm not sure what type of camera you are using, but if you're using a point-and-shoot, the problem is sensor size. The sensor is the part of the camera that measures brightness; in point-and-shoots, it's fairly small and thus doesn't get great exposure. To fix this, you'll have to switch out of the AUTO mode on your camera and go to the Manual mode. Set your ISO lower (because of the darkness, the camera will compensate for it and will end up boosting ISO, blowing out the highlights in the sunset.) This will help a bit. Also, if you can change the aperture, boost it a bit to a higher f-stop. That will also help, and will make the colours more true.
NOW, if you're using a DSLR or something that has a lot of shutter speed control, I prefer doing long exposures of sunsets. This here (http://kalbaxecnailla.deviantart.com/art/Just-Another-Sunset-63663062?q=1&qo=1) was a thirty-second exposure; this (http://kalbaxecnailla.deviantart.com/art/Sunset-Delicacy-63465906?q=1&qo=1) was two-minutes and thirty seconds; this (http://kalbaxecnailla.deviantart.com/art/Over-and-Out-133889953?q=1&qo=1) was twenty seconds. You'll want to boost the f-stop to compensate for a longer shutter-speed, and use the lowest ISO possible. I'm not really sure WHY the longer shutter speed makes it look better, but in my experience, I get a better looking sunset when I let the shutter stay open for awhile.
Also, all of them were taken with a "graduated Neutral Density" filter, meaning that it's darker at the top and graduates to clear. What this does is make the sky darker while leaving the foreground the same colour, meaning that the sky won't be blown out and washed out and too bright. If you're using a camera capable of taking filters, I CANNOT recommend a graduated ND filter enough for landscapes. It's absolutely indispensable.
I hope this helps! Feel free to ask me to clarify anything.
no subject
The brightness is from overexposure. I'm not sure what type of camera you are using, but if you're using a point-and-shoot, the problem is sensor size. The sensor is the part of the camera that measures brightness; in point-and-shoots, it's fairly small and thus doesn't get great exposure. To fix this, you'll have to switch out of the AUTO mode on your camera and go to the Manual mode. Set your ISO lower (because of the darkness, the camera will compensate for it and will end up boosting ISO, blowing out the highlights in the sunset.) This will help a bit. Also, if you can change the aperture, boost it a bit to a higher f-stop. That will also help, and will make the colours more true.
NOW, if you're using a DSLR or something that has a lot of shutter speed control, I prefer doing long exposures of sunsets. This here (http://kalbaxecnailla.deviantart.com/art/Just-Another-Sunset-63663062?q=1&qo=1) was a thirty-second exposure; this (http://kalbaxecnailla.deviantart.com/art/Sunset-Delicacy-63465906?q=1&qo=1) was two-minutes and thirty seconds; this (http://kalbaxecnailla.deviantart.com/art/Over-and-Out-133889953?q=1&qo=1) was twenty seconds. You'll want to boost the f-stop to compensate for a longer shutter-speed, and use the lowest ISO possible. I'm not really sure WHY the longer shutter speed makes it look better, but in my experience, I get a better looking sunset when I let the shutter stay open for awhile.
Also, all of them were taken with a "graduated Neutral Density" filter, meaning that it's darker at the top and graduates to clear. What this does is make the sky darker while leaving the foreground the same colour, meaning that the sky won't be blown out and washed out and too bright. If you're using a camera capable of taking filters, I CANNOT recommend a graduated ND filter enough for landscapes. It's absolutely indispensable.
I hope this helps! Feel free to ask me to clarify anything.