Over the winter months we have had some spectacular sunrises and sunsets, but is there a way of predicting the days to get out with your camera to get that killer shot? Here are our top tips to help you get that killer shot.
Scout the area during the day
Pick your location, find somewhere with an interesting foreground or feature such as a church spire, and consider any power lines or other features such as people, traffic etc that may spoil the image, but that said I quite like the below image with 4 people walking through my scene. Consider alternatives to eye level, i.e. getting low to capture the Cotton Grass in the foreground, or getting high to capture the layers of distant mountains. Use ‘The Photographers Ephemeris’ (also known as TPE) to check the direction of sunrise/sunset. This is a great app that will tell you the exact time and direction of the sunrise or sunset for your chosen location
Check the weather
One of the key factors for spectacular sunrise/sunset images, are high clouds which take on the golden colours of the sun and reflect them back to earth. Still water on lakes, ponds and reservoirs can also make for some great reflective shots. So if it’s windy the water won’t be still, and a longer exposure may be required to smooth the water out and capture the reflections of the fluffy orange clouds. Low and middle layer clouds can block out the magic that is happening higher up. Use a free app such as Clear Outside which I have found to be fairly accurate most of the time, but it does get it wrong occasionally. Also some of the best sunrise/sunset shots are just after a storm, so if a storm has just passed it may be worth getting out.
Get there early
So you have picked your location, the weather is looking good, and Operation Sunrise is a go. The hour before sunrise is known as the blue hour, and can also offer some stunning conditions. Arriving early also gives you a chance for a final check of the location, and camera settings, prior to everything being bathed in that soft golden light. My personal preference is sunrise over sunset as I also get to listen to the dawn chorus. Evenings for sunsets aren’t as difficult to plan, you’ll likely be up anyway, and the evening colours always seem enhanced to me.
Camera Settings
Choose a low to mid ISO, somewhere between 100 - 800. An aperture of f/16 will give you a greater depth of field and ensure that everything from foreground to horizon is in focus, but also be mindful of your lens and at f/16 you may get some diffraction. Most lens’ have a sweet spot which on average is around f/8 to f/11. Pick a shutter speed, but not too long or your highlights will be blown out. Set your white balance to the cloudy setting, this will make the warm colours stand out more, and use manual focus to ensure auto focus doesn’t spoil it for you.
Composition Rules
If possible use natural features as leading lines drawing your eyes into the image. Use the rules of thirds, if your sky is the main feature have that in the top two thirds with your foreground in the bottom third. Composition rules can enhance your image, but also remember that rules are meant to be broken. One thing that we see a lot off is a wonky horizon, if you have a tripod, use it and make sure your horizon is level. Also consider getting low down to the ground, trying different angles, and look for opportunities for sunstars.
Don’t forget to look behind you
Don’t forget to look behind you, whilst your focus is on the sun, the scene behind you may well be bathed in that lovely orange or purple glow. The Alpen glow hitting the tops of the mountains can be spectacular, but keep your lens hood on to prevent any sun glare or sunspot on your lens. If taking photographs away from the sun try and ensure you don’t get your shadow in the image.
Hang around
I have certainly been guilty of this, and thinking I have seen the best of the light I have packed up and started heading home, only to be gobsmacked by the sudden light display when I’m back in the car and unprepared.
The most important thing to remember with sunsets and sunrises is to feel alive and enjoy it. Feel the sun on your face, feast your eyes on the amazing colours and try not to stress out because you got the wrong camera settings. If you got the wrong settings, that just means you’ll have to come back for the next golden sky. What a shame !!!
