How to predict a good Sunrise/Sunset?

chadpowell

chadpowell

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Chad
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Hi Guys,

Is there some sort of method in predicting if it is going to be a good sunrise/sunset. Mostly Sunrise as a Sunset isn't as hard to predict due to it being light throughout the day...

Are there any phone apps for this? And also can a good Sunrise be predicted by how the weather is looking the night before? Basically I want to save myself having to get up early in the morning and looking outside to find it's overcast etc...

Thanks in advance!
Chad
 
I tend to look for broken cloud somewhere in the region of 25-50% cloud cover for the best sunsets/sunrise so if the forecast is for full cloud or rain etc the chances are a decent sunrise or sunset will not be seen, that said the only true way to know is to get up and look...you'll note from my photo stream I've only shot a couple of sunrises as I'm not a morning person, I think all my sunrises have been a result of having not actually seen my bed yet that night ;)
 
MWHCVT said:
I tend to look for broken cloud somewhere in the region of 25-50% cloud cover for the best sunsets/sunrise so if the forecast is for full cloud or rain etc the chances are a decent sunrise or sunset will not be seen, that said the only true way to know is to get up and look...you'll note from my photo stream I've only shot a couple of sunrises as I'm not a morning person, I think all my sunrises have been a result of having not actually seen my bed yet that night ;)
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Haha, thanks for the advice! Noted :)
 
You can't really predict that low little grey cloud right on the horizon. They are the worst and wreck sunsets very effectively even if it looked great just moments ago. Obviously thick cloud cover is self explanatory, and no clouds is no good either... It's a lottery. Good luck.
 
As the others have said, the sunrise and set are all dictated by cloud cover and air quality and the best you can predict here is using a good weather forecast site like met office and I personally find that wrong most of the time too, especially in mountainous regions that have their own mini climate.

Sunrise/set times and positions are easier though and I use both TPE and PhotoPills for that and they are extremely accurate allowing me to position myself and compose the image for the sun position while it's still dark and just sit back with a flask and await the golden hour. :)
 
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You can't predict easily, but if you download The Photographers Ephimeris, you will see that it shows by method of a coloured line, at what angle the sun will rise from your given position and at what time.
What is less used is that if you extend out along the line to where it ends, this shows the position on the earth that the sun rises in relation to your position. This is where you need a clear sky to be.
So, now you need a cloud prediction chart to see if this is the case. If it is then to get a great sunrise you also ideally need some high level cloud in your position, so once again use the cloud prediction chart off the internet to look for (say) cirrus cloud overhead at the time of sunrise.

Easier said than done of course and I tend just to go for pot luck :)
 
Short answer is, "No", but the weather forecast can help a lot. Over the short term it is pretty accurate and if the forecast is for persistent rain towards the end of the day (as it was here in London on Friday) then you have no chance but forecasts of cloud breaking up towards sunset or clearing over night are reasonable indicators that you might get something worthwhile, but there are no guarantees and I've seen plenty of potentially good sunset ruined by sudden cloud cover.

Its what make landscape photography so interesting. You can be in the right place at the right time, have good gear and great technique but the model and the lighting will do exactly what they want, and do it very quickly too.

Dave

Agree about The Photographer's Ephemeris - really useful.
 
As said already there is no way to really predict a good sunrise. Most of my landscape work is taken at sunrise and it requires a lot of self motivation and a bit of luck.
No forecast is entirely accurate. I've been sat at many a location under thick cloud whilst the forecasts i'm checking on my phone are telling me it's clear skies. I have lost count of how many times I've not even bothered getting the camera out of the bag and then drive home but it doesn't stop me going out and trying again. You've just got to keep going back to the location until you are happy with your shot.

Ansel Adams said something like... "Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer and often the supreme disappointment" How true!
 
Might be handy to point out that the Metro (free paper on the trains) have that day's sunrise & sunset times amongst other forecasts on the inside of the cover. Found it useful on occasion!
 
In all honesty, is by far about luck rather than judgement.. check out the weather forecast etc. by all means but don't count on it helping. It's one of the joys of landscape photography, managing to be at the right place at the right time

Simon
 
Depends on what you mean by a "good" sunrise or sunset. I'm guessing you are meaning stippled red clouds and beams of light zapping in illuminating a handy castle or windmill?

As the folks above have said, it really is a lottery, but the best thing you can do to predict a good sunrise/sunset is be in position to take you picture at sunrise/sunset. If you're not there, you won't get the shot. So, good reconnaissance is essential so you aren't wasting time trying to figure out where to put the tripod (especially important in pre-dawn darkness when you're stumbling about all over the place).

Secondly, know where the sun is going to come up or go down. The Photographer's Ephemeris is very good for this, and the Windows version is free. This helps a lot with your pre-shoot recce.

Then you're into looking at the weather. You could eliminate half the year which is the summer months. Winter is better, more likely to get you snow/mist/ice plus good clouds from storms etc. Also in summer the dawn is bloody early and sunset is bloody late - winter is easier on the sleep patterns. Then look at the weather for the day. Clear skies are pretty boring, so you're after storms and particularly heavy showers that will come in with blue sky gaps between them. If no heavy showers, then dappled cloud in multiple layers is good, so you can have the top layer lit up by the setting sun so it goes nice & read, and the lower layer a completely different colour and preferably nicely rim-lit.

Overall, the best tip is just to get out there. 1 time in 10 (if you're lucky) you'll be sorted. If you live in a particularly good location and can get to a good spot in 30 mins it's possible to leave it late then jump in the car or whatever and get out there.

Personally, I find sitting on a mountainside waiting for dawn to be a magical experience, and a good sunrise is a bonus.
 
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