Sunrise images don’t need to be restricted to front and sidelit subjects. Include the sun in your frame for magnificent photos. A rising sun often results in dramatic color, but if it doesn’t appear naturally, color can always be supplemented with filters. Digital imaging has made this process relatively easy if you don’t have the proper filter at your disposal. I’ve seen many prints in which color has been enhanced or added digitally, with great results. There are many factors to take into consideration if you choose to include the sun in your pictures. It’s important to obtain the proper exposure, to control the contrast, and to be cognizant of how the atmosphere diffuses the sun. As eye damage may occur, never look at the sun through your viewfinder—this won’t diminish the damaging effects of staring into the sun. The longer the lens, the greater the risk. Metering a scene with the sun included can give you an underexposed image as the camera’s meter is tricked by the sun’s brightness. To obtain a correct exposure, take a meter reading off the sky to the left or right of the sun. Lock in the reading, recompose your shot, and take the picture. It’s best to exposure manually as there won’t be any confusion regarding exposure compensation. To ensure good color saturation in the sky, I recommend bracketing. The warmth of sunset tends to be a bit more golden than at sunrise. You can control contrast by using a graduated neutral-density (ND) filter. Above the horizon line in a scene, the sky is often much brighter than the foreground. If your exposure is based on the sky, the foreground will be rendered too dark. If the exposure is based on the foreground, the sky will be washed out and will lose the effect of a colorful sunrise. Half of a graduated ND filter is a neutral gray, and half is clear. By placing the dark area over the bright sky, this portion of the scene will get less exposure, while the clear part positioned over the foreground reveals detail. The most popular graduated ND filters are available in densities of one and two stops. For sunrise shots, I recommend the two-stop version. Occasionally, I combine the one- and two-stop filters together when I need three stops. Be sure to use the depth-of-field preview button when putting the filters into the holder to see where the transition line of light and dark falls. Atmosphere plays a major role in determining the success of the photo. Crystal-clear days provide the greatest challenge. Even at the horizon line, the sun can be extremely bright, which can cause problems with flare and contrast. On days when there’s no haze on the horizon to diffuse the sun, it becomes impossible to shoot even before the sun reveals a part of itself. For the first half-hour after the sun goes down, the sky can take on a radiant glow. The light after sunset can often be more dramatic than the sunset itself. Thin layers of pollution or haze give you the opportunity to achieve great results when shooting into the sun. Depending on what creates the diffusion, a glowing ball of red may await you. Finding a striking subject for a silhouette will enhance the composition. You can more easily get proper exposure with a diffused sun, as the atmosphere provides a natural barrier to subdue its brightness. Again, meter the scene as I described above to get the most accurate results. I recommend bracketing, especially when using slide film. Midday Blues As the sun rises toward the western horizon, it’s a good idea to postpone photographing large-scale scenes, as your photos will lack drama and impact. However, you can work with reflectors, fill-flash, or in the shade to get good photos of smaller subjects. The only way to recapture the gorgeous light of sunrise is to wait for another morning. Midmorning to midafternoon brings out the harshest light of the day. Shadows fall directly underneath everything lit by the sun, resulting in subjects with contrasty light. When photographing people, you’ll get distracting shadows on their faces. Sunset—as well as sunrise—is a great time to shoot subjects like architecture. The midday light is harsh—therefore, lighter tones lose detail and shadow areas are rendered too dark. In overcast conditions or when a cloud passes in front of the sun, the contrast drops. Summertime is the most difficult season in which to photograph, as the sun is directly overhead. Winter is better as the sun is lower in the sky. Midday light is not conducive to good landscape photography. To reveal texture and detail in a scene, the sidelight of a rising sun is essential. If you compare scenes shot at sunrise or sunset to those photographed during the day, it’s easy to understand why landscape photographers frequently work in early morning and late afternoon light. The Day’s Farewell Many of the same principles that hold true for sunrise shooting apply to sunset photography, with several differences. Although it’s similar, the warmth of sunset tends to be a bit more golden. The subject matter is often different, and there will be more people with whom to contend. Both sunset and sunrise produce warm tones. Depending on the atmospheric conditions, colors can range from yellow to red. If the western skies contain pollution, smoke or haze, the color tends toward red and orange. If the skies are clear, degrees of yellow prevail. Summer months can mean late-afternoon thunderstorms. Hot air rises from the heated land and produces upper air disturbances, which can result in cloud-covered sunsets. Yet this same cloud production can produce a stunning sunset. Clearing storms mean dramatic skies, and holes may open in the clouds, allowing the sun to create unique lighting situations. The undersides of clouds above the horizon may ignite in fiery reds, and occasionally, serendipity may bless you with a rainbow. Good winter sunsets materialize more frequently than in summer, and the color lasts longer. In the winter, the sun remains along the horizon, but during the summer, its path is more vertical. This translates to prolonged periods of warm tones. The slower ascension allows more time for the clouds above the horizon to reflect the sun’s color from below. Sunset is a great time for wildlife photography. If they’re frontlit, animals take on a golden color with soft light. When they’re backlit, they become dramatic silhouettes. Along with great lighting potential, it’s the time of day when animals tend to become more active. Avoid photographing animals when they’re chewing grass. Wait for a momentary pause when they raise their heads and appear more alert. Sunset—as well as sunrise—is a great time to photograph landscapes, seascapes and architecture. What was frontlit at sunrise will now be silhouetted. Photographing the same subject at both times of day is fun to do. As with sunrise, sidelit subjects will reveal shape, form, and texture. As gorgeous as sunsets are, I prefer sunrises because there are fewer people around, which keeps a scene more natural and uncluttered. In popular locations, it’s nearly impossible to omit tourists or passers-by in your images. Once the sun drops below the horizon, the shooting day is not over. For the first half-hour after sunset, the sky can potentially take on a radiant glow. As with the light prior to sunrise, the light after sunset can often be more dramatic than the sunset itself. As wonderful as it is to utilize all the previous information, a major factor in good sunrise and sunset pictures is Mother Nature. You may have all the right equipment, film, and know-how, but if clouds wreak havoc, it’s best to wait until tomorrow. Sometimes, you need to wait until the next trip, and even then, there’s no guarantee. Going to magnificent locations doesn’t guarantee terrific shots, but being there at sunrise can enhance your opportunities.