The biggest cliche in photography is sunrise and sunset.
December 1, 2015 11:43 AM Subscribe
Want to get an idea whether it'll be worth hauling your kit out to your favourite spot to capture a magnificent sunset? Consult the sunset forecast at SunsetWX. Forecast valid in continental US and adjoining fringes only. And SunCalc will let you know exactly where the sun will cross the horizon from your vantage point.
SunCalc previously.
SunCalc previously.
See also Skyfire, written by a college friend of mine.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 11:48 AM on December 1, 2015
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 11:48 AM on December 1, 2015
I'd always heard big parts of the arctic get no sun at all in the winter, but it's remarkable to move the pointer up and see the little sliver of sun shrink until it's gone.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:51 AM on December 1, 2015
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:51 AM on December 1, 2015
Sunsets may be a cliche but I love photographing them. Part of it is just sitting and watching the changing light. Thanks for the links.
posted by jabo at 11:51 AM on December 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by jabo at 11:51 AM on December 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
Any tips on photographing sunsets in a way that captures the colors? My centers always get blown out!
posted by prefpara at 12:12 PM on December 1, 2015
posted by prefpara at 12:12 PM on December 1, 2015
komara: “For a simple version I really enjoy Sol on iOS.”On Android, I love TerraTime.
posted by ob1quixote at 12:13 PM on December 1, 2015
Any tips on photographing sunsets in a way that captures the colors? My centers always get blown out!
Underexpose.
posted by pjern at 12:50 PM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Underexpose.
posted by pjern at 12:50 PM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just to clarify something: SunsetWX isn't just forecasting when the sun will set - that's the easy part that lots of other tools do too. It's using meteorological data to forecast when sunsets will be particularly awesome looking, by predicting atmospheric conditions.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:50 PM on December 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:50 PM on December 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
Any tips on photographing sunsets in a way that captures the colors? My centers always get blown out!
Try waiting until just after the sun has set and/or is obstructed by clouds, trees, etc. This will often result in the best color results as well. Also using a lens hood if you have one, and shooting to one side or the other of the sun itself (when possible) will help.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 12:55 PM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Try waiting until just after the sun has set and/or is obstructed by clouds, trees, etc. This will often result in the best color results as well. Also using a lens hood if you have one, and shooting to one side or the other of the sun itself (when possible) will help.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 12:55 PM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Any tips on photographing sunsets in a way that captures the colors? My centers always get blown out!
I underexpose by at least 2 stops and then use Adobe Bridge to decrease the highlights (of course, it helps to shoot in RAW). That usually enhances the light areas without over saturating the darker reds and blues.
posted by jabo at 1:17 PM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I underexpose by at least 2 stops and then use Adobe Bridge to decrease the highlights (of course, it helps to shoot in RAW). That usually enhances the light areas without over saturating the darker reds and blues.
posted by jabo at 1:17 PM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
We've been having some spectacular sunsets in San Francisco recently. Just looking out our back door usually clues me in, but a forecast like this will be useful, too. Thanks!
posted by rtha at 1:27 PM on December 1, 2015
posted by rtha at 1:27 PM on December 1, 2015
Any tips on photographing sunsets in a way that captures the colors?
Sure, take your pictures at Lake Vermilion, MN.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:33 PM on December 1, 2015
Sure, take your pictures at Lake Vermilion, MN.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:33 PM on December 1, 2015
Any tips on photographing sunsets in a way that captures the colors? My centers always get blown out!
HDR/bracketing/multiple exposures layered. It's not just for blown out silly/ugly exaggerated bad pictures. That's like the exact situation it excels at.
It's like sriracha or something. Good in certain scenarios, but overused and overrated for uses it kind of sucks at.
posted by emptythought at 2:09 PM on December 1, 2015
HDR/bracketing/multiple exposures layered. It's not just for blown out silly/ugly exaggerated bad pictures. That's like the exact situation it excels at.
It's like sriracha or something. Good in certain scenarios, but overused and overrated for uses it kind of sucks at.
posted by emptythought at 2:09 PM on December 1, 2015
Underexpose slightly and boost the saturation? In my experience, the way to get colorful scenes like sunsets to look "right" is to crank up the saturation a fair bit beyond "accurate."
posted by DoctorFedora at 5:17 PM on December 1, 2015
posted by DoctorFedora at 5:17 PM on December 1, 2015
Just to clarify something: SunsetWX isn't just forecasting when the sun will set - that's the easy part that lots of other tools do too. It's using meteorological data to forecast when sunsets will be particularly awesome looking, by predicting atmospheric conditions.
Yeah, I should have mentioned more explicitly that this (analyzing clouds to predict awesome sunsets) is what Skyfire does as well.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 9:54 PM on December 1, 2015
Yeah, I should have mentioned more explicitly that this (analyzing clouds to predict awesome sunsets) is what Skyfire does as well.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 9:54 PM on December 1, 2015
I used SunCalc on MeFi just the other week, following that Navy missile test that became a UFO over LA.
I found a place where the sun was setting at the time of the launch, and then figured out the altitude the rocket would have to be in order for that spot to be below the horizon (and therefore the rocket in sunlight).
posted by Sunburnt at 10:45 PM on December 1, 2015
I found a place where the sun was setting at the time of the launch, and then figured out the altitude the rocket would have to be in order for that spot to be below the horizon (and therefore the rocket in sunlight).
posted by Sunburnt at 10:45 PM on December 1, 2015
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posted by komara at 11:48 AM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]