Photo provided by PIER 22

Sunsets After Work, the trendy hashtag campaign from PIER 22 is back for the summer starting Aug. 1 and going through Sept. 30. During the special promotion, guests who share a Manatee River sunset photo using the hashtag #Pier22Sunsets receive a free Manatee Sunset drink, which is a cocktail concoction that's perfect for summer and made with Sauza Blue tequila, housemade sour mix and a splash of grenadine. The offer is good on Wednesday evenings from 5-7 p.m. and is limited to one free drink per customer with purchase.

In addition to the diverse scratch-made lunch and dinner selections found at PIER 22, the restaurant has also gained worldwide notoriety for its spectacular waterside ambiance and magical sunsets according to marketing director Tabatha Davis.

"It's a surreal experience; nothing compares to watching the sunset while dining out in the open air. We get a nice breeze from the Manatee River and the orange, gold and purple hues from the setting sun are honestly picture perfect, Davis said.

The PIER 22 building is a historic 1920s-era Spanish-style structure offering plenty of photo opportunities. Peter Obetz, a Bradenton local and the owner/photographer for Real Deal Wedding Photography, has been shooting the venue and the happy couples that get married there for many years. He knows a thing or two about capturing the PIER 22 essence on camera; he snapped one of his all-time favorite sunset photos from the Bradenton side of the Green Bridge looking west with the restaurant, Twin Dolphin Marina and the Manatee River all in view.

The PIER 22 Sunsets After Work promotion clearly relies on the fact that, in today’s camera phone world, everyone's a photographer, but Obetz cautions against going filter happy when snapping your Manatee River sunset pictures. "There's nothing wrong with using a filter," Obetz said, but he did have a few suggestions for keeping things "real."

1. Be Patient
There's a lot of great shots available right at the beginning of sunset, but "frequently the best colors are after the sun goes down." According to Obetz, there's a good chance that the ideal PIER 22 sunset shots occur around the dessert course.

2. Keep A Straight Plane
Generally speaking, it's better for the composition if the horizon isn't smack dab in the middle of the photo, and yet you'll want to keep a straight plane. Obetz said that smartphones allow you to cheat a little since you can rotate the view after the fact, and he warned that a slanted riverside sunset pic would cause the water to look like it is draining off the edge.

3. Don't Forget To Turn Around
Obetz also stressed that a great sunset photo might not include the landscape at all. If it's a really colorful sunset, you could be missing the shot unless you turn around. "That's because all that great color is illuminating the surroundings and casting hues all around the people that you're with, the boats, buildings etcetera."

Luckily for the novice point, click and shoot types, there's no requirement to the promotion that your photos should be technically good. Davis joked that it’s "generally important to keep your thumb out of the viewfinder," but that the riverside subject matter pretty much takes care of the rest.

The PIER 22 team has shared some of their favorite sunset pics on the brand's Facebook page, and new photos are posted throughout the promotion. Of course, sharing your photo directly to the PIER 22 Facebook page does give you a leg up if you're trying to make it into the album! See the restaurant for more details.

Photo provided by PIER 22

1200 1st Ave W, Bradenton