Tips on Sunrise/Sunset Photography
Rohinton Mehta shares a few easy tips that can transform your dawn and dusk images into works of art
Everyone loves sunrise and sunsets. Let’s say, that you take a photo trip to an exotic location. Unless you know that area well, you may not know where exactly to go for the best sunrise/ sunset experience.
Do your homework. Find out the sites where sunrise/sunsets generally are the best. You could check dedicated apps, check on the Net or better still, take a local guide with you. Be at the location at least 20 minutes before the sunrise. This will give you a chance to scout around for the best shooting position.
Consider a good tripod as a must. If it has a centre column, remember not to extend the centre column to its maximum height as that can cause camera movement during exposure. Instead, use the centre column only for minor adjustments in height. Ideally, a tripod height should be such that the mounted camera is at your eye level (without the use of the centre column). Set your ISO to 100 (unless the base ISO in your camera is different).
If you are using a D-SLR, consider locking up the reflex mirror after you have focussed, if your camera has that facility. This prevents the loss of sharpness
due to the mirror slap. Alternately, if your camera supports it, use the selftimer with 2-3 second delay. I prefer being on Manual Focus mode when photographing sunrise/sunsets. Warning: Never look at the sun through a long telephoto lens as that could permanently damage your eye. If you have any difficulty looking at the sun with your naked eyes, do not look at it through a telephoto lens.
Do not set the White Balance to Auto. If you do so, the warm sunrise/ sunset colours will tend to wash out. Of course, if you are shooting in Raw (recommended), then changing the WB in post processing is very easy. (But, I would still like to start my editing on a picture that looks as close to what I saw when I took the shot).
When photographing sunsets, make it a point to stay there for up to 30 minutes after the sun has gone under the horizon. Often, the sky gets its beautiful colours after 20 minutes after the sun has set. Try not to place the sun in the centre of your composition; consider the Rule of the Thirds. Also, try not to place the horizon line passing through the centre of the frame. (I am aware that some photographers do not heed this advice. If you are a beginner, you may be better off following my advice.)
Consider creating High Dynamic Range (HDR) images, especially if the lighting contrast is high. If recording for HDR, set your camera on Continuous Firing Mode – High. The idea is to not allow time between the frames, since the sun changes its position continuously. I am assuming that you know how to set up the camera for HDR images. Know some basic editing to warm up the photos to your liking.