FIRST CLASS PHOTOGRAPHY: LESSON 21

Sunrise/Sunsets

by Willis T. Bird

 

Rule One: Protect your eyes!

 

Rule Two: Remember Rule One!

 

Unfortunately, no one told me about Rule One when I began my photography, and I wasn’t able to perceive the danger quickly enough. As a result of using telephoto lenses and taking numerous photos of the sun during sunsets and sunrises, I damaged my eyes. I now have a little black spot inside my good eye. For this reason, I’m not going to tell you that photographing the sun is a good idea. Everyone who has a camera does it, and I imagine you will eventually, if you haven’t already.  But I will share techniques that have worked for me in sunset and sunrise photography, plus several tips on how you can protect yourself.

Lasers and the sun are the two brightest lights that your eyes will probably ever have to confront. Therefore, it would make sense that anything that makes them even more intense would be dangerous--right? And using equipment—such as a telephoto lens--that increases their size makes them more intense. You wouldn’t think of placing a magnifying glass between your eyes and a very bright light before looking into it, would you?  Likewise, if you look directly at the sun through a telephoto lens on your camera, you’re essentially magnifying the effect of the light.  However, you don’t have to use a telephoto lens to capture a dramatic sunrise or sunset shot.  In fact, you don’t even have to include the sun in the photo itself.   I’ve used wide-angle lenses to good effect in landscape sunrises and sunset shots. If you have good cloud formations, sunsets are more spectacular when the sun is already below the horizon.

 

If you plan to shoot sunrises or sunsets, you need to know the times that the sun rises or sets in your area so that you can be ready at the right time. Here are two URL’s you may use to find the sunrise/sunset time for the present and the future in your area. If you post the state and town where you live or plan to visit, the site will give you the longitude and latitude for that area as well as sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times for a day or for a year, depending on which site you input:

 

Http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html

Http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html

 

The second of these sites provides a comprehensive chart. Thus, if you know the exact day you’re interested in, use the first URL. If you want a chart to take with you to refer to over a period of time, print out the chart on the second URL. (A worldwide option is offered, as well.)

 

Plan to arrive at your chosen site at least a half hour early to set up and be ready. Once the sun starts coming up, it does so faster than you imagine. Be prepared by scouting out the area in advance and predicting where you believe the sun will come up.  Look for good foreground and backgrounds for your shots.

 

I personally prefer the colors of the sunrises to sunsets, although both can be stunning. In addition, early morning can provide fog and haze that seem to be easier on your eyes.  They also add interest and drama to your photograph. However, don’t count on haze or fog as protection.  Direct sun can still be dangerous. I like to set the sun off to the side of my shot, in most cases, so it won’t be shining directly into the lens--or my eyes. When I do center the sun, I give it only a quick glance.  I don’t stare into the lens. (The more of this type of picture you take, the better you’ll become at this.)  Often, you can preset the focus so your DOF (depth of field) is already set up for you. I strongly suggest that you use a tripod, and check your horizon in advance of making the shot to be sure the horizon is as level as possible. Try not to place the horizon in the center of the photo, since this can create a monotonous shot. Have it in the upper or lower third of the image, depending on the main subject of your photo.

 

Your eyes aren’t the only problem in sunlight photography if you have a digital camera. It’s possible for the CCD sensor to be damaged by intense exposure to the sun in telephoto mode. In older 35mm cameras, there was a similar problem of burning cloth shutter shades. (When metal was used, burning wasn’t a problem.)  Only long exposures did real damage. So, it’s best to set up your shot before the sun is in the picture, if possible.

 

If you direct your lens toward the sun and then set your exposure, you’ll find that nearly everything in the shot except for the sun will be in silhouette. If you don’t want the scene to be in silhouette and your camera allows it, you should point your lens off to the side, press down part way to set the exposure, and then swing the lens back toward the sun when the sun comes up and complete the snap to take the photo. Then, you’ll capture a lightened shot in which the sun won’t seem as intense--nor will the colors.  You’ll be able to see the other objects in the shot.

 

Getting the exposure you want is the most difficult aspect of sunset photography. I’ve found that bracketing shots is a good way to hit the best exposure. Bracketing means taking a shot with the exposure exactly as the meter says it should be, then taking one that is slightly over exposed and one that is slightly under-exposed. Usually one of those results will give you the shot you wanted. You’ll eventually realize which you like best and can then shoot to get that result without having to resort to bracketing.

 

Some Last-minute Tips

·        Clouds make a sunset photograph. Without clouds, the shot and the objects in the shot will probably be bland and without much interest.  Just a sun and horizon do not make an interesting shot. If a tree limb overhanging the shot can frame it, all the better.  Having something interesting in the foreground and background is a plus.

·        Under-exposure makes for richer, darker colors.

·        Some sunsets, even those at the beach, are best after the sun has disappeared--so don't be in a rush to leave after the sun drops beneath the horizon.

·        Using a wide-angle lens will give you a very small sun, but a telephoto will exaggerate the size of it.

·        If you situate yourself in a high position and shoot down on the sunrise or sunset, the sun will have a richer, more reddish color.

·        Filters can help. I like using a graduated neutral density filter. Any neutral density filter will have the effect of adding more stops to the camera, allowing a longer exposure. Sometimes, a polarizer will have a similar effect. There are other filters that can enhance the effects of a sunset.

·        The best times for sun shots are in the autumn and after a rain.

Unless the weather is bad or you live in some extreme region of the earth, you get one sunrise and one sunset every day, so make the most of them. Scout in advance in order to know exactly where the sun will come up or go down. Remember, the sun’s position will change from summer to winter, so you have to keep on scouting.