How To Photograph
Sunrises & Sunsets
Sunrises & Sunsets
How to Photograph Sunrises – Tips and tricks
How to photograph Sunrises - an introduction
For me there’s nothing quite like watching the sun dip behind a mountain or rise majestically over the beach. If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you’ve tried to capture that moment with your camera. Be it your mirrorless, DSLR, or even your phone camera.
In this blog post, I’ll give you some insights into the best camera settings to use. The best planning tips and a few other sunrise photography tips and tricks.
Sunrise Photography tips and tricks – What gear to use
When it comes to sunrise photography, I’m a less is more kind of guy. I don’t really like to use a lot of filters, polarisers, or even tripods sometimes. But it’s a necessary evil as for those early morning shoots, the light level is often quite low.
My typical landscape photography kit consists of my Nikon D800, Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 and my K&F concept Tripod. I do have a selection of filters. I will leave a complete list of gear at the end of this article. Many photographers would opt for an ultrawide angle lens. But I prefer a wide to standard focal length.
I have a range of filters, including ND filters, graduated filters and circular polarisers. My personal choice is to avoid using most filters. Except for the circular polariser. The circular polariser is the only filter than cannot be emulated in post processing. For me, lighter is better!
Cokin Z Filters
K&F Concept tripod
Circular polariser
Sunrise or Sunset. Is there even a difference?
You may think that Sunrise and Sunset are pretty much the same thing. Apart from the time of day, they pretty much look the same, right? To the untrained eye, yes. But there are some subtle differences to be aware of. Especially when it comes to photography.
One of the main differences is in the perception of colour. At the end of the day, your eyesight is well adjusted to the daytime light. Our sight doesn’t adapt quickly to darkening environment. There is a whole load of scientific research available online to support this. But for now, just accept my 10-20 mins estimate to adapt from light to dark conditions.
At Sunrise, we are well adapted to the dark. The human eye is amazing at pulling out details in event the darkest of conditions. Every minor change in the luminosity of the sky, every nuance of colour saturation, stands out like a firefly in the night sky.
There are also environmental factors to consider. Air pollution, Heat, humidity all plays a part in sculpting the morning or evening light. A more humid environment causes sunrises to appear warmer in tone.
How to Photograph Sunrises - Camera Settings
What settings should I use for Sunrise photography? How long is a piece of string? How many grains of sand are on the beach? THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER!
I can give you a general idea, but. No one can tell you what the “best” settings are for any given sunrise. Or any given photograph for that matter. Photography is an art form; it is entirely subjective. To that end there is no wrong answer.
Many photographers out there will tell you NOT to shoot in automatic mode if you’re shooting sunsets or sunrises. I am one of those photographers. But, if you are just learning, why not? You can see and learn exactly how your camera will expose for that scene in that lighting condition. That is an incredibly powerful learning tool that is often overlooked.
Personally, I like to shoot sunrise photos in Aperture priority. Mainly because of how fast the light changes. It’s easier than constantly adjusting shutter speed. My go to is Iso 100 and f/8 or f/16.
The caveat to giving you a guide to settings is that most of my sunrise and sunset photographs. 99% of them are multiple exposure that I then blend in post processing.
Use a tripod
It goes without saying that a tripod is a necessary evil. It’s one of the great pains of my photography life having to lug that hunk of Aluminium around everywhere I go. Even the Carbon fibre tripods, which are significantly lighter can be cumbersome. I don’t like tripods. But I use tripods. Especially for sunrise and sunset photography. Most of the time, you will have ample time to get set up on your tripod for your sunrise shoot. But on that rare occasion you don’t, don’t be afraid to handhold. Just remember to adjust your camera settings on the fly to avoid camera shake and motion blur.
How To Photograph Sunrises - Location Scouting
It always helps to be prepared. It’s the whole motto of the boy scouts for a reason. You’ll increase your chances of shooting a “keeper” if you plan. I use several features, apps and websites to plan most of my landscape photography shoots.
First light optics: Clear Outside weather app; A weather app showing high, middle and low-level cloud. Dew points and a host of other useful features
Flickr World Map: Ok this is cheating. I search the Flickr world map to see geotagged photos of the location I’m planning on shooting.
The photographers Ephemeris: A mobile app that shows the relative direction of the sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset.
There are a few other apps, but these three are my first steps in planning a Sunrise or sunset photography session.
Compose for Interest
In photography composition is King. That is no different in Sunrise photography. Consider your composition carefully.
Say this with me. STRAIGHTEN UP THAT HORIZON! We’ve all been there. But one thing you can do to make life easier, is to make sure your horizon is as straight as you can get it. It’s an easy enough fix in post-production. But straightening in post will cause you to lose a small amount of resolution from your image. So, me personally, I like to ensure the horizon is accurate, if nothing else.
Edge patrol. Be sure to scan the edges of your frame. Make sure to exclude any rough, ugly bits and pieces from the composition. Again, easy enough to fix in post (sometimes).
Take a second to look at what first caught your eye to the shot you’re setting up. Was it the light, the shadow, or something else? Use what first caught your interest. Go with your gut.
How to Photograph Sunrises – Tips and Tricks Conclusion
In conclusion, Sunrise photography is no different to any other kind of photography. For me the hardest part is the early alarm clock. I find it easier to stay up all night rather than set a 3am alarm!
Know your camera and your gear. Understand the settings and how they affect your final images. Plan ahead, and maybe get to know your location.