Photo Tip: Sunset Clouds

I was out for a walk with my camera last night* when I saw the most beautiful reflection of sun-setting light coming through the clouds.  I immediately went trigger happy, only to realize that every photo I took looked like one big cloud and a couple of trees.

Frustrated, I started throwing all of my settings to their opposite extremes (I'm not sure what that says about me), hoping to figure out what I needed in order to capture this dusk light.  I finally was able to snap this ...

Turns out the secret to capture this backlit sunset is a fast shutter speed.  The settings on my camera were as follows:
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/400
F/Stop: 8.0
I love the way the fast shutter speed was able to trick the light and black out the trees and power lines to give a cool silhouette** effect.  I wonder if that's how the Pioneer Woman is able to get those cool morning cowboy shots that I love so much?

I wish I hadn't gotten annoyed by my initial photographic ineptitude and deleted the "before" shots, because it really shows how important that shutter speed is.  So much for not being a perfectionist.

FYI - most point and shoot cameras can be put on manual settings and the shutter speed can be controlled.  Read your manual to find out how it can be done and experiment a little!

I'm hoping to get an early morning hike in on Saturday so I can see what happens when it's sunrise light, as opposed to sunset light.  Cross your fingers that the weather cooperates!  I'd love to have more time to experiment and really figure out what I'm talking about.

Has anybody else ever experimented with silhouettes?  It's a cool shot, but I've never been able to figure out how to get it!

*What?  Doesn't everyone take walks with their cameras?
**That's a really hard word to spell.