The time of day you make a photo can make all the difference. For this exercise, you need to know the time of sunset, which tonight was at 8:13 pm.

I took this first photo at 8:00 pm. Just 13 minutes before, the sun dipped below the horizon.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1 sec

Right at sunset, 8:13 pm isn’t the best photo, but notice how the sky changes. But the sky is still too bright.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 2.5 sec

Now just waiting until 8:24 pm or 11 minutes after sunset, the sky is getting dark enough that the lights are starting to balance with the rest of the scene.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 4 sec

Now while the color here is excellent at 8:27 pm, we no longer have the sun lighting up the clouds and lose the pastel colors in the sky.

I like both of the photos for different reasons. Which one do you like best?