Sunrise and sunsets

[IanB]

This is a very popular subject to photograph and it’s easy to understand why. In my truck driving days I use to love the sunrise; it’s usually different most mornings, but more importantly, I got through a long hard night in one piece, but it was so much better when there was some broken cloud for the sun to light up.

Sunnies, as I call them, are actually one of the easiest; or should be one of the easier photos to take, but there a couple of tricks and you don’t need any special cameras or filters, although a solid camera rest is important.

We will deal mainly with sunsets: The big mistake most make is they photograph too early and pack up to early

THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOUR WILL GENERALLY HAPPEN
ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER THE
SUN SETS BELOW THE HORIZON.

The better sunset photos will be taken because you just happen to be out there with the camera; but there things to look for that will tell there maybe a sunny that evening. Those wonderful colours happen because the sun is shining from below the horizon onto the underside of the cloud and broken high level cloud is the best for a colourful sunny.

If you are really keen, you will start to take more notice of weather reports and log onto the internet weather sites more often to check out the satellite maps. You will start to watch clouds and observe what they do. Most weather patterns travel west to east.

If you feel there is a sunny coming on you need to be set up 15-20 minutes before the sun set. Knowing where the sun will set is also helpful and it does not set at the same spot at same time every day of the year. Sunsets/rises move; and the further south you are the more they move.

The gear does not matter that much; a P+S will do; but as the best photos will be taken after sunset so a tripod or a solid camera rest will be required. I usually set the camera to manual and bracket most photos although AV will do with most DSLRs>>sometimes it helpful to set to manual focus>>I focus and then turn it off.

This is the big mistake: most take photos with the big bright sun in the photo>> IT USALLY DOES NOT WORK. The camera can not record what you see.
Again:

THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOUR WILL GENERALLY HAPPEN ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER THE SUN SETS BELOW THE HORIZON.

However; if the sun sets behind a medium to heavy cloud, there is a very good chance that the cloud will block the sun’s rays from getting onto the underside of the cloud, but don’t pack up; WAIT UNTIL IT IS DARK. I have seen it and I have done it; that is packing up to early; it all goes dark and gloomy as the sun sets below the horizon so everyone cries and packs up. But the sun has to get down further so the rays hit the under side of the clouds. SO WAIT.

And don’t just look to the west [that’s roughly where the sun sets]; look around and behind you also. There is often wonderful colour there also

Sunrises happen 10-15 minutes before the sun comes over the horizon, and generally after the sun comes over the horizon its all over.

And that is all there is to photograph a good colourful sunny; some luck; some planning and some patents.





I would hope others will add their tips for taking a better sunrise/set photo.

LOL the first image is one of the best sunest I have taken; but the folder disappeared from my hard drive. All I have is this very small file. Yeah I know; back up ya stuff ya mug