Predicting good sunrise/sunset conditions for landscape photography

[Destin]

Hey guys, @SquarePeg asked me in another of my threads how I go about predicting good sunrise/sunset conditions for my landscape photography. Rather than reply in that thread where it would get lost and not help many people, I decided to create a new thread for it.

This thread is an open forum. I'll share how I personally go about doing this, but I would absolutely love to learn how other people are doing it as well. I'm far from an expert. Let's all gain some knowledge here!

I have two ways of doing this, and I'll detail both of them below:

1.) MySunset App. This is the lazy way, but the one I use most often because it takes less effort. I have the pro version of this ($9.99/year) and it gives you it's calculated odds of a colorful/beautiful sunrise/sunset for your current locations as well as whatever locations you've saved. It rates the odds on a perfect basis, with 0% being no chance and 100% being certainty. You can even set limits for each location and get notified when the odds are high, which is helpful but gets annoying fast if you have a lot of saved locations.

My experience with this is that when it gives you a high percentage, it's nearly always accurate and you get some color in the sky. However, there are frequently colorful skies that it misses, so I never use it to rule out a colorful sunrise/set, only to rule one in. This is important, because otherwise you'll miss opportunities. In scientific terms, it has a high sensitivit but a poor specificity.

2.) Windy Cloud Forecast. This way requires a little more manual effort, but I still check it a few times per week when I remember to. I find this method to be a little more accurate, but it suffers from the same problem as the previous method to some degree. It's taken me a while to learn how to use it, and I'm absolutely still a novice at it. Rather than try to explain it myself, I'll link you to an article by Sean O'Riordan where I first heard about it. He explains it much better than I ever could.

Ultimately, while these tools are great and have helped me to avoid wasting as much of my time as I used to when I first got started, they are far from perfect. Relying on them alone will lead to missed opportunities, so I still go out sometimes when conditions are less than favorable and sometimes I end up getting lucky.

I'm honestly excited to hear how other people go about this, so please share your methods!

 

[SquarePeg]

Thanks for sharing that. I’ll have to check out that app.

I typically check the free version on the website Sunsetwx. https://sunsetwx.com/

It gives a map of the US and shows colors from blue (no color) to red (high color). Easy peasy but not specific enough location wise. I’ve often been clouded out only to see a great sunrise happening in the distances. The free version shows you sunset updated by 1pm day of and tomorrow’s sunrise updated by 7pm. You can pay and have it predict further out. I typically check this in the afternoon to see what sunset looks like and then at night to see what sunrise looks like. I found that yellow is hit or miss but if it’s red it has not usually been wrong. I use the free TPE app to line things up.

You still need to do some weather research (cloud cover, cloud ceiling, wind, humidity).

My personal formula which doesn’t happen often around here - cloud cover at least 45%, low humidity, high cloud ceiling, very little wind. This info is all provided in the free Accuweather app hourly view. I look at the hour before sunrise and sunset. When I pay the most attention is after a rain. If I see the sun peaking out before sunset after a rainy day I grab my camera and run!

Here’s a great article that I bookmarked a few years ago that’s helpful.
The Art of Travel Photography - Predicting Amazing Sunrises and Sunsets - Wanderlust Travel & Photos

 

[photoflyer]

It is extremely cryptic but in aviation we have a TAF, Terminal Aerodrome Forecast. It shows, for the few hundred airports for which it is prepared, very specific sky conditions by periods of time for the next 24 to 30 hours. So instead of cloudy, mostly cloudy, partly sunny, it shows cloud cover (clear, few, scattered, broken, overcast), sometimes cloud type (usually cumulus when forecast) and .... this is the key ... altitude. For a landscape image there is a huge difference between 1500 ft scattered and 12000 ft scattered.

I get mine undecoded because it is so fast to read. You can get it decoded. The times are in GMT. Here is DCA for the next 24 hours:

KDCA 182338Z 1900/2006 02008G16KT 5SM -RA BR BKN008 OVC015
FM190200 02015G28KT 5SM -RA BR SCT008 OVC015
TEMPO 1902/1903 BKN008
FM191000 01022G36KT P6SM VCSH SCT025 BKN035
FM191600 01020G34KT P6SM FEW080 SCT250
FM191900 01015G25KT P6SM FEW200
FM200000 02008KT P6SM SKC

This basically says that tomorrow from sunrise until mid morning it will be very windy with scatter showers. The clouds will be scattered at 2500 feet and broken at 3500 feet. But tomorrow night, clear skies. Maybe I'll do a little astrophotography.

But you can get it decoded.

The decoded version is sooooo long that I will just post a link. You can enter your nearby airport (KBOS, KJFk, etc) to get your forecast. These are mid to large airports. You would be surprised at the smaller airports for which these are generated. KMRB for example: Martinsburg WV.

The forecast is updated every 6 hours. These are the best forecasts we can produce as so so much is riding on them. But, it is weather.

I used this recently when planning a sunrise over the city. The forecast was for high (6000 feet scattered) clouds becoming clear. I wanted the clouds so as to capture the sun illuminating them from below. It was clear. Again, weather.

AWC - Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs)

 

[SquarePeg]

Just to highlight how unreliable these predictive services are, here is the map for tomorrow’s sunrise. Hot red. And the weather says 30% chance of snow...

 

[jcdeboever]

I use an app called golden hour. I use it more as a guide for golden hour but find it useful for architecture and sunsets as well. I like that it can tell me where the sun is facing on buildings so I can plan for better shots. I use it with Google maps in satellite mode. I can find a my location, parking, etc. Or when I go into high crime area like Detroit MI, Gary IN etc, I know exactly what I'm doing and get in and out swiftly. It really is a great app for me and serves multiple purposes. There is also a golden hour+ app that is 3.99 by the same developer and it is even more comprehensive for sunset shooters. The free app does what I need.

 

[Destin]

I use an app called golden hour. I use it more as a guide for golden hour but find it useful for architecture and sunsets as well. I like that it can tell me where the sun is facing on buildings so I can plan for better shots. I use it with Google maps in satellite mode. I can find a my location, parking, etc. Or when I go into high crime area like Detroit MI, Gary IN etc, I know exactly what I'm doing and get in and out swiftly. It really is a great app for me and serves multiple purposes. There is also a golden hour+ app that is 3.99 by the same developer and it is even more comprehensive for sunset shooters. The free app does what I need.

View attachment 204593

View attachment 204594

As another option, I use The Photographers Ephemeris for this type of functionality and it’s a phenomenally powerful app.

 

[Destin]

It is extremely cryptic but in aviation we have a TAF, Terminal Aerodrome Forecast. It shows, for the few hundred airports for which it is prepared, very specific sky conditions by periods of time for the next 24 to 30 hours. So instead of cloudy, mostly cloudy, partly sunny, it shows cloud cover (clear, few, scattered, broken, overcast), sometimes cloud type (usually cumulus when forecast) and .... this is the key ... altitude. For a landscape image there is a huge difference between 1500 ft scattered and 12000 ft scattered.

I get mine undecoded because it is so fast to read. You can get it decoded. The times are in GMT. Here is DCA for the next 24 hours:

KDCA 182338Z 1900/2006 02008G16KT 5SM -RA BR BKN008 OVC015
FM190200 02015G28KT 5SM -RA BR SCT008 OVC015
TEMPO 1902/1903 BKN008
FM191000 01022G36KT P6SM VCSH SCT025 BKN035
FM191600 01020G34KT P6SM FEW080 SCT250
FM191900 01015G25KT P6SM FEW200
FM200000 02008KT P6SM SKC

This basically says that tomorrow from sunrise until mid morning it will be very windy with scatter showers. The clouds will be scattered at 2500 feet and broken at 3500 feet. But tomorrow night, clear skies. Maybe I'll do a little astrophotography.

But you can get it decoded.

The decoded version is sooooo long that I will just post a link. You can enter your nearby airport (KBOS, KJFk, etc) to get your forecast. These are mid to large airports. You would be surprised at the smaller airports for which these are generated. KMRB for example: Martinsburg WV.

The forecast is updated every 6 hours. These are the best forecasts we can produce as so so much is riding on them. But, it is weather.

I used this recently when planning a sunrise over the city. The forecast was for high (6000 feet scattered) clouds becoming clear. I wanted the clouds so as to capture the sun illuminating them from below. It was clear. Again, weather.

AWC - Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs)

This is brilliant! I’ve always had a fascination with aviation, so I’m familiar with the existence of these forecasts, but I somehow never thought to check them for my photography.

Thanks!

 

[Soocom1]

I am going to shy away from the apps and just state that in NM there really isn't a good predictor aspect because most SR and SS are just gorgeous to begin with.
But the conditions in NM are far different that the Midwest, or the coasts.
Were at over a mile high and unlike Colorado, we have a different environmental aspect that allows dust to accumulate in the air causing most days to light up in the late afternoon with ALOT of color.

Now granted that weather is obviously a factor and on the gloomy days you get a diff. aspect. This is a given. But because of the angle of the sun, our position, the dust and a host of other factors, our Sun sets particularly are something to die for especially when the afternoon hits the mountains.

If you get a chance, come to NM and as I tell everyone, wait for the near sunset, then turn around and look behind you!

 

[jcdeboever]

I use an app called golden hour. I use it more as a guide for golden hour but find it useful for architecture and sunsets as well. I like that it can tell me where the sun is facing on buildings so I can plan for better shots. I use it with Google maps in satellite mode. I can find a my location, parking, etc. Or when I go into high crime area like Detroit MI, Gary IN etc, I know exactly what I'm doing and get in and out swiftly. It really is a great app for me and serves multiple purposes. There is also a golden hour+ app that is 3.99 by the same developer and it is even more comprehensive for sunset shooters. The free app does what I need.

View attachment 204593

View attachment 204594

As another option, I use The Photographers Ephemeris for this type of functionality and it’s a phenomenally powerful app.

No Android port but Desktop, I may check it out on a winblows box.

 

[Rickbb]

I watch the local weather , looking for a high pressure system moving in and a clear or mostly cloudless day, then go to a good spot to see the sunset and wait for the light to be right. About as accurate and you are going to get.

I don't do sunrise shots because it's a mortal sin to be up that early and to go out before coffee does it's thing just makes it a double sin. (And if I ever did those things you would NOT want to be around me until at least 4 PM.)

 

[weepete]

Interesting. Living in a country where weather conditions are so unpredictable I do sometimes envy you guys that live in places with a bit more stability.

For me it's often a numbers game, as some of the best conditions I've been in have just materialised out of nowhere.

If I'm trying to predict it, I'll look at the weather forecast and satalite cloud cover images. If I can see a clear patch in the sea to the West blowing in then I get hopeful for good sunsets. Often, it's so unpredictable here that just having mixed weather with rain, sunny spells and cloud offer a good chance of nice lighting at somepoint.

 

[AlanKlein]

As another option, I use The Photographers Ephemeris for this type of functionality and it’s a phenomenally powerful app.

+1. I also look out the window.

 

[NancyMoranG]

@AlanKlein , I am a look out the window type too.
But I have got to get into the Photographer Ephemeris (?) app too!!!

Depending where we are, I watch weather for clouds, fronts storms etc...

 

[AlanKlein]

@AlanKlein , I am a look out the window type too.
But I have got to get into the Photographer Ephemeris (?) app too!!!

Depending where we are, I watch weather for clouds, fronts storms etc...

Looking out the window works better for sunset shots rather than sunrise.

 

[SquarePeg]

@AlanKlein , I am a look out the window type too.
But I have got to get into the Photographer Ephemeris (?) app too!!!

Depending where we are, I watch weather for clouds, fronts storms etc...

Looking out the window works better for sunset shots rather than sunrise.

Looking out the window for sunset is fine if you have a good location nearby. I have a local lake 5 minutes away that I’ll head to if I happen to be home and see something in the sky that makes me think we’re about to get a burner. However, if you’re planning to go somewhere that’s not local, a little research is certainly a good move.