My wife and I were fortunate to visit Rio de Janeiro during 2010 as part of an overall trip to Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay).  Rio and its surrounding neighborhoods have some 6 million people and is renowned for its long stretches of beautiful beaches like Copacabana/Ipenema. 

I find the views from Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain) are simply outstanding.  We spent most of the late afternoon and early evening at Sugar Loaf, timing the visit to take in the sunset and twilight views.  

I brought along my trusty Canon 5D DSLR and just one lens (24-105 f/4 L IS), a tripod and 3-stop graduated ND filter.  I was fortunate that a few of my images were featured by National Geographic, including one published in a book. 

The following are a few highlighted images from the trip.

Rio at Sunset

I wanted to capture the beautiful colors and cloud patterns in the sky, along with side-lighting from the sunset. The inclusion of the incoming cable car helped to provide a more dynamic feel and a sense of place.

Rio de Janeiro at SunsetI wanted to capture the beautiful colours and cloud patterns in the sky, along with side-lighting from the sunset. The inclusion of the incoming cable car helped to provide a more dynamic feel and a sense of place.

Rio at Dusk

The city lights were being turned on just after sunset.

Sunset Over RioFamous view from Sugar Loaf mountain during sunset. I used a 3-stop grad ND filter to balance the contrast between the bright sky and the shadow area.
This image was featured as National Geographic "Photo of the Day" on June 1, 2018.

The following image was published in National Geographic's Four Seasons of Travel book (2013).  The illuminations of the buildings blend nicely with the sunset sky. In the foreground are boats near the Botafogo district.

Rio de Janeiro at DuskColorful sky and illumination of neighborhoods in Rio shortly after sunset. Image taken from Sugar Loaf Mountain. In the foreground are boats near the Botafogo district.

This image was published in National Geographic's "Four Seasons of Travel" book (2013). It is also part of NationalGeographicStock.com (Picture Id: 1400884).

National Geographic featured the following panoramic composite image in their Your Shots: Brazil gallery.

Panoramic View of Rio at DuskPanoramic composite image taken from Sugar Loaf Mountain. The Copacabana area is on the far left. The Central district is on the far right. In the middle is the Botafogo/Flamengo area.

This image was featured on National Geographic Traveler "Your Brazil Photos".

Additionally, the following image was featured in National Geographic Your Shots: Night Pictures.

Rio at NightFabulous view of Rio de Janeiro and its surrounding neighborhoods from Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf) mountain, Brazil. The view from Sugar Loaf is one of the finest urban vistas in the world. In the foreground are lines for the cable cars taking people up from Morro da Urca to Pao de Acucar. (This image was featured in Nat Geo Travel Your Shot: Night Pictures gallery.)

For more images on Brazil, including those taken at Iguazu Falls, please visit my photosite.