Archive for sunrise

Scenic Outlook – Autumn Approaches

By Dave Wares
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

If I’ve timed this right then Autumn/Fall should be upon us, at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere. If summertime didn’t quite grab you enough to get you out of bed at ridiculous times of the day then autumn sure will. Due to the higher position of the Sun during the summer months the light is often very strong giving less definition to the landscape. In addition to this the grass will be green as will much of the leaves on trees and bushes, nice for us to look at but very often does not translate into photographs very well, this is because you end up with a mass of greenery in the picture and it becomes very difficult for us to see all the elements individually. During Autumn however, this all changes, with nearly all of the trees foliage gradually turning from greens through to yellow then to reds, and all at different rates.

This display of colours combined with the ever lowering position of the sun creates some of the most beautiful scenery nature has to offer. As I’ve said before, being out both during early morning and late evenings pays dividends for your photography as all these wonderful colours are brought to life, being more saturated with the warm glow of the rising/setting Sun. Read More→

Categories : City and Landscape Photography, Make Better Photographs, Nature & Wildlife Photography
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Plan Your Photo Shoots with VelaClock Sun/Moon

By Mike Kennamer
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

As photographers, we all talk about the “golden hour”–that brief period of time at sunrise and sunset in which the lighting is just perfect. But what time is sunrise anyway? Or sunset for that matter? Better yet, what time will the sun set this time next month when you have the big beach wedding to shoot? What time will the sun rise in Las Vegas in mid-May? What phase will the moon be in when you are shooting that night senior portrait shoot in Asheville, NC? Okay, the truth is that I don’t know the answer to any of these questions. But I know an app that does.

VelaClock Sun/Moon app from Vela Design Group will answer each of these questions and more. Here is the gist of it. When you first open the app it will ask to use your current location. Once you do that you can use your current location or add other locations. Once you select your location, you can view a great deal of information about it. For instance, you can see when the sun will rise and set. The app will give you the astronomical twilight dawn and dusk, nautical twilight dawn and dusk, and civil twilight dawn and dusk.

Okay, I admit that I didn’t know what these terms mean, so I’m guessing that perhaps someone else might need a little refresher. Astronomical twilight occurs when the center of the sun is 12° and 18° below the horizon. If you are looking for darkness, you will find it from the end of the astronomical twilight in the evening to the beginning of the astronomical twilight in the morning (barring light pollution). Nautical twilight refers to the time when navigation at sea using the horizon is not possible. This occurs when the center of the sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon. Civil twilight in the morning begins when the center of the sun is 6° below the horizon and ends at sunrise. Likewise, civil twilight in the evening begins at sunset and ends when the sun is 6° below the horizon. This is the time when you can best view the brightest stars and planets. Read More→

Categories : iOS Apps, Mobile Devices and Apps, News and Reviews
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Scenic Outlook – Get out of bed!

By Dave Wares
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

What is it that makes great Landscape pictures? Good camera craft, an understanding of composition? Both of these are incredibly important but they’re not the only thing. Great landscape photos come from a love and dedication to get out there and enjoy your surroundings and to see the wonderful low light bring definition and shape to the landscape; which means getting out of bed early. Now I realise that great low light also happens at the end of the day too, but for now I’m going to talk mornings. One of the best times of day to be out as a landscape photographer is first light, in fact I’d go even further and say that you should really be out there well before sunrise, by at least an hour in fact. It’s time to set the alarm for stupid o’clock, resist the allure of the duvet and forget about breakfast. Breakfast can be your reward for a good mornings shoot. If you’re going to be out for a while then throw a drink and a couple of chocolate bars into your camera bag.

The winter months are a Godsend for us landscape folks as not only are we blessed with great low light throughout pretty much the whole day, the days are shorter too which means that you won’t have to get out of bed quite so early, 6-7am instead of 4am or earlier during the summer. (Depending on your geographic location of course)

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Categories : City and Landscape Photography, Make Better Photographs
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Scenic Outlook – Using Silhouettes to Create Dynamic Landscapes

By Guest
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

The combination of silhouettes and landscapes is an underutilized art and one I wish more people practiced. Not only is it extremely useful in creating dynamic landscape images, but it is also extremely easy to execute. First, lets take a look at why you would want to intentionally clip shadow detail and then wrap this up by learning how to effectively pull off a silhouetted image.

Shape, lines, and imagination – Landscape photography may be one of the most literal forms of picture making. Find a pretty scene and present it as was. Sometimes it’s a good exercise to shake up this habit by emphasizing shapes, lines, and your viewer’s imagination. When utilizing silhouettes, it’s important to include easily distinguishable shapes in your photograph so that you aren’t presenting a blob of black in the frame. Compose and frame your shot with shapes and lines in the fore front of your mind. Ask yourself, would a person other than me know what they are looking at? This isn’t always the easiest thing to recognize, but the more you practice and train your eye, the easier it will come.

There are so many distinguishable elements in the frame that their is plenty to see and think about while at the same time it isn’t too busy. The best part is it seems as though I could have taken this in Africa or in the middle of a desert; the imagination can run wild. In reality, I made this image off the shoulder of Ocean Parkway on Long Island. Just don’t tell anyone.

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Categories : City and Landscape Photography, Guest Bloggers, Make Better Photographs
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