Do you 'predict' dramatic sunset?

[Zephyrize]

Hi
I live in a typical suburban american town, so in order to get great sunset shot, I have to travel to the city.
Last few days was sunny, cloudless day; a typical perfect summer day, so I thought the sunset would be amazing. I made my way to the city and it turned out to be just a dull, colorless sunset without any potential.
Yesterday was a very overcast day without sun, however, the sky was spectacularly illuminated with violet, orange, blue around sundown... but I didn't have time to move out. :mad:
I'm no meteorologist, but do you guys have any ways to predict whenever the end of a day can potentially bring great colours?
Or is it all about luck?

[blackcap]

You need some clouds otherwise there's nothing in the sky to reflect the sun and create the colors.

The best clouds I've found are the wispy, high clouds (cirrus) especially when the sky is blanketed with them and they are thin enough for the sun to shine through. If they are too dense, then you won't get much. Too scattered, and you'll get a lot of boring blue sky.

But there have been other times when I've seen other types of cloud that look unremarkable, but have lit up during sunset so it's a bit unpredictable.

[sparker1]

Observation over time should help you anticipate a good sunset. However, it is almost impossible to do this with accuracy. The clouds change constantly and may go from great to crappy or vice versa in minutes.

[WaltA]

Yeah, I've made a few trips down the Oregon coast and although you do need clouds for a very cool sunset, they have messed up more than one evening.

There are a few things you need to look for when expecting (hoping for) a great sunset shot. I'm lucky enough to live about 30 feet from the ocean here in the SW corner of BC and from my patio can see one of the best areas for capturing a sunset in the province.

Vancouver Island is about 30 miles to the west across the Georgia Strait. So heres what I look for. Clear sky over the 30 miles of water and and a band of clouds over the island.
That way, the sun goes from clear sky into the clouds and then finally behind the horizon.

If the clouds are wispy (like blackcap says) thats even better as then you can track the sun through the clouds and it doesn't just disappear into them.

The other thing to watch for is the light show going on in the east - in some cases. Here, if I look to the east I see Mount Baker and sometime the reflected light from the sunset on the snow covered mountain is actually better than the sunset itself.

Another tip for sunsets is to be creative in your composition. Theres a sunset every night and its photographed pretty much every night as well. So, sometimes what you have between you and the sunset makes the picture. Like a pier with sailboats tied to it. Or a lighthouse or a sandy beach with water pools that can reflect the sunset. Or in the urban areas a bridge or particularly picturesque building.



Hope this helps and good luck to you.


Edit - Your location says Quebec but you say you are in an American town. ??

[dustyporch]

I watch the weather forecast looking for 'variably cloudy', and choose those days to go out... But you just never know. I've had MANY mornings/evenings that have been complete busts (and nobody every sees the shots if I do take any), and have also missed many stunners too.

[Scottes]

Weather reports help. Some will give you *some* idea of cloud cover at a particular time of day. I use Wunderground.com and Intellicast.com, both of which give hourly reports (and sunrise/sunset times). Anything between 30% and 80% cloud cover should make for a good sunset.

More clouds and less wind is good. Vice versa is worse.

More humidity means more haze, which means more particles in the air to catch and/or bend the light. So that makes for a better light show.

For sunsets, air quality reports can help predict, too. The worse the air quality, the more smog/junk in the air, the more particles in the air. And, just like haze, this means more stuff to bend or reflect the light. Smog is the reason why sunsets are generally more red than sunrises.


And be prepared to get nothing for all your troubles. :-)

[Zephyrize]

Yeah, I've made a few trips down the Oregon coast and although you do need clouds for a very cool sunset, they have messed up more than one evening.

There are a few things you need to look for when expecting (hoping for) a great sunset shot. I'm lucky enough to live about 30 feet from the ocean here in the SW corner of BC and from my patio can see one of the best areas for capturing a sunset in the province.

Vancouver Island is about 30 miles to the west across the Georgia Strait. So heres what I look for. Clear sky over the 30 miles of water and and a band of clouds over the island.
That way, the sun goes from clear sky into the clouds and then finally behind the horizon.

If the clouds are wispy (like blackcap says) thats even better as then you can track the sun through the clouds and it doesn't just disappear into them.

The other thing to watch for is the light show going on in the east - in some cases. Here, if I look to the east I see Mount Baker and sometime the reflected light from the sunset on the snow covered mountain is actually better than the sunset itself.

Another tip for sunsets is to be creative in your composition. Theres a sunset every night and its photographed pretty much every night as well. So, sometimes what you have between you and the sunset makes the picture. Like a pier with sailboats tied to it. Or a lighthouse or a sandy beach with water pools that can reflect the sunset. Or in the urban areas a bridge or particularly picturesque building.



Hope this helps and good luck to you.


Edit - Your location says Quebec but you say you are in an American town. ??

lol, yea I meant the american 'style' suburban town with houses, driveway and backyard... saying that I no where near a clear spot for shooting a sunset

and thanks for the recommendations! I'll try to get some shots soon and see how they turn out. As you suggested, the 'silhouette' concept is always a classic :)

[jrader]

+1 to the members who mentioned cirrus clouds. You want the high clouds. They are the last clouds in the sky to be illuminated and by the time they are illuminated, the sun is much farther over the horizon, and the light will go through the spectrum of colors more slowly (because the light is refracted through a thicker amount of atmosphere). If you have high clouds to the west and if they don't dissolve as the sun sets (most of the time, they don't) or they aren't too thick, you will see them turn from white to orange to pink to red to purple. After that, the sun is fully set.

How to predict them: low systems, the counter-clockwise rotating air masses (for the Northern hemisphere, opposite for Southern). They are powerful enough to push and pull all layers of the clouds, so as a low approaches, you will get banded cirrus clouds. As a low leaves, you will get thin, diffuse, whispy trails of cirrus clouds.

Another thing is that fires can simulate a camera filter in that it will cut the amount of light present and shift the light toward the red as well. Shooting sunset through smoke gives you that "sunset in Africa, perfect round, red sun" shot.

When it comes down to it, there is no real way to predict a dramatic sunset. What does that mean to YOU? I go for the aforementioned plans because lots of color=great picture to me. However, you don't necessarily need high clouds for a great sunset. My suggestion: learn to recognize the cloud formations (because a cloudless sunset isn't incredibly interesting).

Hope this helps.

John

[obnoxiousmom]

In my short time, all Ive learned about sunsets is clouds make the sunset for me

[PFDarkside]

Another +1 on the haze, everything else being equal the haze is more particles to reflect and refract light and create a more dramatic sky.

Also, I think it's usually best to treat the sunset as an incredible background, try to include an interesting subject with good composistional techniques. ND Grad filters (or multiple merged exposures, or both) will allow foreground subjects to be more than just silhouettes (although those work well too).

I'm still with you though, I'm always shocked when a blah day opens up to an incredible sunset and I'm sitting at home overlooking suburbia. ;)

[Scottes]

This software mentioned in this thread will tell you exactly where and when the sun will come up, and thus help you plan to be in the absolute correct position when the sun comes up:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=716967

[baraynavab]

Hey I think this website will be also give you great info on how you try to predict a good sunset. as well as good viewing conditions for shooting star's and astronomy.

http://cleardarksky.com

[Riaan van Wyk]

Nope- I can never "predict" a good sunset. All the signs in the world won't indicate as to what will happen at sunset. Rather, always hope for the worst and consider it a bonus if it is indeed a glorious one:)

[WaltA]

Theres actually a sunset every night - so thats kind of predictable.

The problem is being in the right place to capture it.

[monk3y]

at around 4pm... if i see a yellow tint or reddish tint in the sky... i will watch for the sunset at around 5:45pm onwards if I can.

[FlyingPhotog]

This software mentioned in this thread will tell you exactly where and when the sun will come up, and thus help you plan to be in the absolute correct position when the sun comes up:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=716967

This and a Weather Forecast and go make magic! :D

[competent123]

fully agreeing with walt.

sunsets are everyday, the point is to be with the camera there , so when that moment comes, you are there with the camera.

if everyone knew it would be great sunset, there would be a thousand photographers there anyway, and you will lose that special shot, like always.. ( said jokingly)

[iFloyd]

it's easy to predict an amazing sunset here in Hawaii

[Protege Menace]

You need some clouds otherwise there's nothing in the sky to reflect the sun and create the colors.

The best clouds I've found are the wispy, high clouds (cirrus) especially when the sky is blanketed with them and they are thin enough for the sun to shine through. If they are too dense, then you won't get much. Too scattered, and you'll get a lot of boring blue sky.

But there have been other times when I've seen other types of cloud that look unremarkable, but have lit up during sunset so it's a bit unpredictable.



Yup, the wispy clouds can be great. Somehow I lucked out and the first time I went to this location I was greeted by these clouds. I went back 3 times over the next couple years but never came across anything worthwhile, mainly because the clouds didn't co-operate.

You can do all the calculations in the world, but you can't predict or know what the scene will look like until you're actually there. You are at the mercy of mother nature ;)

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3374/lan10b.jpg

[vtphotography]

I actually started to respond to this thread before reading all the posts. I think jrader summed it up best.

This was my .02 anyway...
If my memory serves me correctly and I can explain it...the fiery colors come from the light of the sun getting defracted through the Earth's atmosphere at a low angle. At this angle, it filters out most blue light. That's why during midday, when the sun is at a high angle, you don't see those colors...the sun's light is travelling through less of the Earth's atmosphere.

The best way I know how to predict these types of sunrises/sunsets is to orient yourself with your geographical area. For example, I live in eastern PA, if I head to the Jersey Shore while there's and air mass/storm moving off the coast, there might be a good chance of a fiery sunrise early morning. Likewise, if there is a storm rolling across the plains/mid-west, sunsets should be really colorful.

Clouds are a must imo.

Happy Shooting!

[F-Stran]

You can get a really nice sunset without alot of clouds. Does anyone know if different locations yield more dramatic sunsets than others?

[WaltA]

You can get a really nice sunset without alot of clouds. Does anyone know if different locations yield more dramatic sunsets than others?

I think the location contributes a lot to the type of sunset lighting/colors you'll get.

1 - At equatorial latitudes the sun seems to take longer to go down hence giving you more time.

2 - In rural or semi-rural areas with lots of smoke from campfires/woodstoves etc - the haze created causes nice effects.

3 - In the spring,winter and fall (at least here in the north) when the sun rises and sets further to the south we seem to get way better sunsets.

I live in an area where there is a group of islands off the coast and the incoming storms gather there while its clear here. This means I have the sun going down into a cauldron of storm clouds which produces some awesone sunsets. This area (South Coast of BC) is well known for spectacular sunsets.

So although I do agree you don't need clouds for a sunset, they sure spruce things up from a plain "sun going down into the ocean" sunset.

[F-Stran]

I think the location attributes a lot to the type of sunset lighting/colors you'll get.

1 - At equatorial latitudes the sun seems to take longer to go down hence giving you more time.

2 - In rural or semi-rural areas with lots of smoke from campfires/woodstoves etc - the haze created causes nice effects.

3 - In the spring,winter and fall (at least here in the north) when the sun rises and sets further to the south we seem to get way better sunsets.

I live in an area where there is a group of islands off the coast and the incoming storms gather there while its clear here. This means I have the sun going down into a cauldron of storm clouds which produces some awesone sunsets. This area (South Cost of BC) is well known for spectacular sunsets.

So although I do agree you don't need clouds for a sunset, they sure spruce things up from a plain "sun going down into the ocean" sunset.

Thanks for the locations info.

[appleguy]

I've always found Autumn in the UK gives the best sunsets but to be honest the best kind of sunset weather is when you have bright sunshine with some cloudcover (Big billowy clouds not pasty ones) and periodically throuhgout the day it keeps raining even though there's sunshine.