[lensa] How to Photograph Sunrises and Sunsets

[acorbusie]

Posted by:      "tagustinus"      
      [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tue Jun 6, 2006 10:37 pm        (PST)


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`No good travel photo album is complete without the token sunrise or sunset picture!'


	

This was the comment of a friend who recently took me through some
photos from his recent trip overseas. He obviously strongly believed in
the above mantra because there were ALOT of sunset shots in his album -
but unfortunately most of them looked very similar to one another and
while they were beautiful, they didn't really end up being the
highlight shots he'd anticipated them to be.


	

Here are a few tips for making sunrise and sunset shots the best that they can be:


	
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Think Ahead - While sometimes wonderful sunrise and
sunset shots can be taken spontaneously without any forethought it's
often the case that the best ones come out of planning. Scope out
places that might be good for sunsets in the day or two before your
shoot. Look for interesting places where you might not only be able to
see the sun track all the way down but where there will be
opportunities for shots that include foreground elements and
silhouettes. Sunsets only take half an hour or so so you want to think
about these elements before they start or you might miss the shots
you're after.


	


Find
out when the sun will set or rise and get there at least half an hour
before hand as it's often in the lead up to and the time after the sun
appears or disappears that the real magic happens.


	
Keep an eye on the weather also. There are a variety of
different types of sunsets that produce a range of different types of
lights and patterns in the sky. Don't just go for clear days for these
shots - while they can produce some wonderful colors it's usually the
times where there is cloud around that the real action happens! Also be
aware of days when there is dust or smoke in the air as they can
produce amazing results also.


	
Consider ahead of time what equipment you might need.
Include a tripod, lenses that will give you a range of focal lengths,
extra batteries etc.

	
Composition Techniques

	
	

Shoot at a variety of focal lengths - wide angle can
create sweeping landscape shots but if you want the sun itself to be a
feature of the shot you'll want to be able to zoom right in.




Keep in mind that the sun is just half a degree across so
when you shoot with a wide lens it will only be taking up a reasonably
small part of the photo. If you want it to be a feature of your shot
you'll need to zoom in on it using anything from a 200mm lens upwards.
This will increase your need for a tripod!



	
	
Also be aware that when you look at the sun at the best of
times it can be dangerous but when you look through a magnifying lens
it can be quite dangerous is the sun is still too high in the sky.


	

Silhouettes as focal points -
As with all photos, sunsets need a point of interest and one of the
best ways to add one to a picture is to try to incorporate some sort of
Silhouette into the shot. This could be something large like a mountain
range, something that is part of the environment like a palm tree or a
pier or could even be a person.


	
The great things about Silhouettes is that they add mood and
context to a sunset or sunrise shot. I'll write more on silhouettes in
a future article.


	

Rule of thirds - Remember the rule of thirds in your
photographing of sunrises and sunsets. While you can always break the
rule it's often a good idea to place elements like the horizon, sun,
silhouettes etc off centre.


	
Exposure Techniques

	
Shoot at a variety of exposures -
if you let your camera decide what shutter length to shoot at you're
likely to get a shot that doesn't really capture the beauty of the
light. Quite often the shot will be under exposed because the sky is
still reasonably light.


	
Instead of relying upon the camera's auto mode a sunset is
an ideal time to switch your camera into aperture or shutter priority
mode and to take a variety of shots at different exposures.


	
The great thing about sunsets and sunrises is that there is
no one `right' exposure and that you can get stunning results using a
variety of them. Also keep in mind that different exposures (aperture
and shutter speeds) will produce a variety of different results so it's
worth taking more than just a few shots - the key is to experiment.


	
I tend to switch into shutter priority mode and start with a
relatively quick shutter speed and then slowly work down to slower
ones.


	
	




Bracketing - Another technique to try to get the right
exposure is `bracketing' where you look at what the camera suggests you
take the picture at and then take a few shots at both under and over
that mark. ie if your camera says to shoot at 1/60th of a second at f/8
you would shoot off a shot at 1/60 at f/5.6 and then at f/11. In doing
so you end up with a series of shots at different exposures which will
all give you slightly different results and colors. Most DSLR's and
some point and shoot digital cameras have a built in bracketing feature
so you don't need to do this manually - learn how to use it! 

Auto Exposure Lock - Another exposure trick, if you
don't have a bracketing mode or don't feel confident in using it is if
your camera has `auto exposure lock' which allows you to point your
camera at a darker place and lock in exposure for that spot (ie you
could point it at the ground in front of you and lock in that exposure)
and then reframe the picture looking at the sunset. This will mean you
get a more over exposed shot.


	

Turn off White Balance - because a sunset is made up
of such vibrant and bright colors it can actually cause a digital
camera to compensate for this if you're using white balance. It could
well be worth switching it off if your results look a little off color.


	
Other Sunset and Sunrise Tips

	
	




Tripod - If you're shooting at longer shutters speeds
and with longer focal lengths then a tripod or some other way of
ensuring your camera is completely still is essential. 

Manual Focus - sometimes when shooting in extreme
lighting conditions some cameras can have trouble focussing. If this is
the case for your camera consider switching to manual focus to ensure
you get nice crisp shots.


	

Look around you - The wonderful thing about sunsets is
that they not only create wonderful colors in the sky in front of you
but they also can cast a beautiful golden light that is wonderful for
other types of photography. As the sunset progresses keep an eye on
other opportunities for shots around you (not just in front of you).
You might find a great opportunity for a portrait, landscape shot,
macro shot etc behind you in the colden light.


	

Keep Shooting - A sunset or sunrise constantly changes
over time and can produce great colors well after the sun goes down or
appears so keep shooting at different exposures and focal lengths as
I've mentioned above until you're sure it's all over.


	
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