Best time for sunrise photos?

I've never attempted sunrise photos before because I hate to get out of bed early but we'll be on vacation in a couple weeks at a beautiful part of MN so I'm thinking of giving it a shot. My question is, if conditions are right, is the best time about 15 - 20 minutes before the sun rises, similar to sunset photos when 15 - 20 minutes after it sets can be the best?

Depends what you're after, plus the atmospherics.
Some dawns are so beautifully lit up despite the lack of brilliant fiery colours.
As the sun rises it can change everything to not much.
Often the colour changes and hues in the sky and horizon features are what make that time of day so special.
And don't just look to the east. Look behind you. Often miss spectacular displays on the landscape whilst too intent on the sun itself.

Same for sunsets

Not much help.
Drag yourself out and be ready.

mn shutterbug wrote in post #19256722
I've never attempted sunrise photos before because I hate to get out of bed early but we'll be on vacation in a couple weeks at a beautiful part of MN so I'm thinking of giving it a shot. My question is, if conditions are right, is the best time about 15 - 20 minutes before the sun rises, similar to sunset photos when 15 - 20 minutes after it sets can be the best?

I'm usually out there 60-90 minutes before the official sunrise time. If I'm in a new area I will explore that heavily the day before sunrise shooting. A lot of color can happen that first 45-60 minutes before el Sol peeks over the horizon.

So here is the deal. With sunsets, you get there a few minutes before and can stay there till the colors disappear into darkness, however long that may be. With sunrises you don’t have that luxury. Ideally you need to get there before dawn, about an hour before sunrise. That way you have time to scope the landscape and get the camera setting close to what it needs to be. Then you can adjust the settings as the light changes. Getting there 15-20 minutes may not give you enough time to get the best shots.

That may be hard during the summer in MN, but it will definitely be worth it. And you can always go back to bed for a few more hours

Hope you have a wondery trip with lots of beautiful sunrises (and sunsets)

I like to shoot in a window from about 20 minutes before actual sunrise to about 20 minutes after - once the sun is peeking over the tree line I'm done. This requires scouting the location ahead of time, then being there and set up well before shooting time.

Thanks for all the advice. I do plan on scouting out the area the evening before since I've never been there. It's about a 15 minute drive from where I'll be staying. If I could get to either side of the river I'd just go for sunset photos but the east side is inaccessible. I do have another location in mind for sunset photos though, which will be much easier if the skeeters aren't too bad.

mn shutterbug wrote in post #19256808
Thanks for all the advice. I do plan on scouting out the area the evening before since I've never been there. It's about a 15 minute drive from where I'll be staying. If I could get to either side of the river I'd just go for sunset photos but the east side is inaccessible. I do have another location in mind for sunset photos though, which will be much easier if the skeeters aren't too bad.

Look up where on the horizon the sun will rise on the date you have interest in shooting, then go scout the location to determine where YOU should be, in order to catch the sunrise at a location of photographic interest.

http://www.imponderabl​ethings.com …-where-sun-rises-and.html

Keep in mind compass directions have magnetic declination anges (deviation from True North) that have to be considered when determining where the sun will rise/set...the angle changes, depending upon where you are on the globe.
https://survivalexicon​.files.wordpress.com/2​014/09/declination-chart.jpg

Wilt wrote in post #19257326
Look up where on the horizon the sun will rise on the date you have interest in shooting, then go scout the location to determine where YOU should be, in order to catch the sunrise at a location of photographic interest.

http://www.imponderabl​ethings.com …-where-sun-rises-and.html

From the above link you provided, I found this especially interesting and a good thing to remember when scouting out locations via Google Maps - "The sun doesn't rise and set in East and West, but rather in the Northeast and Northwest.

The sun/moon calculator I use can be found at https://www.timeanddat​e.com/sun/.

Once you put in a city you can see when sunrise will occur and the angle at which the sun will poke above the horizon.

If you scroll down a bit you will find the term “Nautical Twilight”. That is defined (to sailors) as the time at which sufficient light is present to discern the horizon. One has to see the horizon to use a sextant. I generally find it a good time to be on sight for photo ops. Having said that most of my early morning stuff is from around Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons where getting early morning light is critical. That is especially true at Schwabacher’s Landing where the early sun first hits the peaks of the Tetons and bathes then in pinkish light. The sun is at your back and the Tetons are west of the vantage poin. Then as the sun rises, a distinct line of sun progresses down the slopes.

mn shutterbug wrote in post #19257788
From the above link you provided, I found this especially interesting and a good thing to remember when scouting out locations via Google Maps - "The sun doesn't rise and set in East and West, but rather in the Northeast and Northwest.

Hence the reason I provided the calculator in my previous response. If for instance you put in Pipestone National Monument you would learn that sunrise today is 6:01 AM and at 60 deg on a compass. But should you be there around March 21st or September 22nd look for it at “true” East.

Hello I shot this sunrise a few years back in Lincoln Nebraska around 7:30 in the morning, I was driving and saw and just pull over and grab my gear and shot it..

I arrived home today and the 3 days up there I was unable to get a sunrise shot, sunset shot or a moon rise shot. It was totally overcast 99% of the time, and the clouds weren't thin enough for anything to show through. At least I got some decent river shots at a couple state parks. Anyway, thanks all for your advice. Someday it will work out for me.

Probably the smoke from the west coast fires. Surprisingly one day last week it was very hazy here in Philadelphia and the weather people said it was due to the fires.

mn shutterbug wrote in post #19256722
I've never attempted sunrise photos before because I hate to get out of bed early but we'll be on vacation in a couple weeks at a beautiful part of MN so I'm thinking of giving it a shot. My question is, if conditions are right, is the best time about 15 - 20 minutes before the sun rises, similar to sunset photos when 15 - 20 minutes after it sets can be the best?

Anywhere from 1 hour before to 1 hour after sunrise. I know that a lot of folks seem to get locked into the "must shoot at sunrse/sunset" frame of mind, but some of my best images have been taken up to an hour before or after the sun rises/sets. Some of the advantages to shooting before the sun comes up are:

1) It's easy in PS to make it look like sunrise
2) It's a lot less contrasty before the sun actually comes up. It's very common to have a scene at sunrise where the subject (ie, a mountain) is super bright and the foreground (ie, some wildflowers) are super dark. Shooting before sunrise brings those two elements closer together in tonality and then allows you to "shape the light" as you see fit in post.
3) It is often less windy the earlier you shoot and if you have a foreground element that is very close to the lens where you need to focus stack, this can be much easier if there is no wind as you don't have to worry about shutter speed and bumping the ISO