Hi Martha and Welcome to the Q&A Board!
Photographing sunsets/sunrises can be quite fun
and full of surprises. Here are a few general pointers:
1. Exposure: use matrix or center-weighted metering and meter for the sky but don't include the sun itself. Select a small aperture for maximizing your depth-of-field.
2. Bracket: bracket up to 1 full stop in both directions (EV adjustment).
3. White Balance: set your white balance to daylight or sunny day
4. Tripod: use a tripod with either a timed shutter release or a shutter release cable. This will prevent blur resulting from camera shake and slow shutter speeds.
5. Composition: include the ground horizon or other ground elements. These will become silhouetted and stand out beautifully against your colorful sunset/sunrise.
6. The Golden Hour: optimal shooting is between 1/2 hour before sunset to 1/2 hour after sunset. Don't forget about "afterglow" and remember to look behind you. Notice what the sky is doing there as well.
7. Keep Shooting: don't just take one shot, take a bunch of them. You'll never know what you might capture.
8. Flare: watch out for lens flare (don't shoot directly into the sun) and keep your lens surface and lens filters clean.
Now, having said all of that, your particular camera has a "sunset" mode. Give that a whirl and see what you get.
Finally, never look directly at the sun through your camera lens. You can damage your eyes and we wouldn't want that to happen.
Hope these tips help.
Cheers!
