Sunrise and sunsets

[canguro]

Ditto to the above comments, well done. I live in a city in the north of China, and the sun disappears into the smog zone about 10 degrees above the horizon, and after that it's pretty well over - the pollution is too dense to allow much reflective bathing of clouds etc. There's a useful piece of software available for download known as 'The Photographer's Ephemeris' (http://photoephemeris.com/), will tell you sunrise & sunset & moon phases based on your location.

[Tommo224]

I love sunset photos, the pink, oranges, blues, etc that emit along the sky. I just love it

I'm never up early enough for a sunrise though hehe..

Thanks for the write up, I'm heading out after work to see what I can do! I've tried a few, but I have more time tonight than I usually do. yay!

[Wynny]

Fully endorse the tip to look around and behind you. I was down the beach last weekend to capture the sunset and turned 90 degrees and there was a storm forming. Shooting away from the sunset or with the light coming in from the side gave me my most satisfying shots of the day.

[spiralink]

Very Useful Info For Beginners , Love The Pics!

[truthseeker]

One thing that I would add to this Ian, is that research of the location can have a great deal to do with the success or failure of a shot. I spend a fair amount of time on research of an area that I am thinking of heading into prior to actually jumping in my old van and heading out. I might, for example, look up the location in Google maps or Google Earth to get an idea of the terrain and what else is in that area that might be worth a look. I will then head over to "The Photographers Ephemeris" to get an idea of sunrise, sunset, moon phases etc. I may also decide that if I have travelled to a spot that looks interesting and it is by the sea, I will check the tides ~ there is nothing worse than happily snapping away while the tide comes in and blocks off your escape rout, so beware of that trap ~ Having said that, I may decide that it is a nice night , and armed with insect repellent, I will spend the night catching star trails. Before I head out I will check another program called, "Stellarium" to get an idea of what the sky around me will look like in any given direction.

To give you an example of what I am talking about here. I have a location in mind that will be great for a sunrise AND sunset shot. It is by the ocean but how do I get both shots without sitting around contemplating my navel for the rest of the day. Nearby, is a rainforest and, after checking out the area, as I have described above, I have noticed that there is also a waterfall close by. Because this location is about 2 hours drive from my home, I have decided that I will take an easy drive up to the area and wander through the rainforest area during the day. In the afternoon I will head over to the area by the sea and scout around for the best location. I will take a few "location" shots and then settle in to wait for the sunset. If I don't decide to stay for the star shots, I will head back to my old Toyota van and set an alarm for 4am before getting a few hours sleep and waking up fresh to get the sunrise shots. ALWAYS remember though to have plenty of spare batteries for both your camera AND a good torch with you.

What I am trying to say here is, research your location and if your shots aren't what you expected the first, or even the seventh visit, the eighth could be that winning shot that you were after.

[truthseeker]

Great post Ian and especially helpful to anyone starting out in landscape photography.

[joebloggs1888]

Useful guide, thanks