Long Exposure 101 (Pt3) 'There are only two times of day worth shooting'

[skiesandsports]

After the awesome response to part 2 I wanted to extend the series and touch on a few other useful pointers!

There are only two times of day worth shooting [and other tips and tricks]

I'm not even sure if this is a quote, definitely not word for word. But I feel like someone said it before me. Whoever said it first it's true (Kind of). Obviously photography is great anytime, and Long exposures work so well in all kinds of conditions. But in terms of what gets me really excited, there are only two times a day. Sunrise and Sunset.

Now this post isn't all about shooting at sunrise or sunset, it's about the preparation that goes into capturing golden hour properly! I think I'll cap this series at 4 parts, the last one will finish up with more tips and tricks to help you on your way to some epic long exposures!

1 - Choose the right time!

You knew that was coming didn't you? Golden hour happens twice a day, and - if the photography gods are on your side on any given day - it is bloody spectacular. The difference between a shot in golden hour and a shot in the middle of the day can be huge. It's not that a stunning shot would look terrible in mid-day light, but you're going to be hard pushed to match the look of a warm sun flooding your image with it's light. Of course, if you're going to take full advantage of Golden Hour we need to know a little more than what time the sun rises and sets. In fact I'm so obsessed with knowing when the magic light will happen that my watch constantly tells me when the next sunrise or sunset is (A useful feature of the Garmin Fenix 3HR, my every day watch and the most fantastic training aid imaginable!) The problem with Golden Hour is that although the gorgeous light lasts a fair old while, everything seems to happen very quickly, especially as the sun makes its first/last appearance of the day!

Don't get me wrong, there's something ethereal about the eerie blue light that you often get pre-sunset like in the shot above, but it's just not what really gets me going. Given the choice I'd always opt for a sunrise shoot. Never fun with the early start, but an incredible way to start the day!

Aim to get to your chosen spot at least half an hour before sunrise (Headtorch to hand - on head - of course!) to find the best spot. The last thing you want is to be frantically setting up a tripod as the sun makes its way over the horizon! By the time the sun was ready to poke through I was in position to get the shot below, relaxed and happy with my framing.

2 - Find your bearings

You might notice in the shots above that even though I was there for sunrise, the sun wasn't rising in the frame, instead it was over to my far right. In this case it was semi-deliberate. This was a lake my wife and I stumbled across on our honeymoon. 5 years later we headed back for our anniversary to take the photos you've just seen. We knew the sun wasn't going to be in frame for any of our shots, but the light just works so well that we decided to make the 6am start all the same.

That's not always how it goes though, I can't tell you how many times I've got to a spot that faces East and the sun's still not been where I expected it to be. That's because the sun moves throughout the year, so the old East to West thing doesn't always quite apply! Finally, I found a site that answered all of my prayers - http://suncalc.net it's a fantastic resource that will show you exactly where the sun will rise and set from any given point. Just bookmark it now and thank me later!

3 - Wrap up

If you're heading out for sunrise you're probably going out at the coldest possible time. Shortly before the sun rises the temperature usually has a sharp drop of a few degrees, so it's usually quite a bit colder than you would expect if you've looked at the days forecast. Try to layer up so that you have options if you end up getting warm (Not too common here in the UK at sunrise!)

Even with a ridiculously powerful Alpkit headtorch it's amazing how I always manage to step in a puddle or end up knee deep in water. A change of socks (or even complete change of clothes) is never a bad call just in case! It can be pretty miserable holding out at a location while freezing your ass off because you have cold, wet feet! Even if you're going for sunset, a fresh pair of socks for the drive home can be like a small miracle waiting in the car!

Hand warmers (Those little ones you microwave to reuse) can be another of life's little luxuries in a pinch!

4 - Wait for it and Work for it

You may notice that the shot above isn't actually quite in focus. It's also not what I wanted at all. At this point I had one leg in a freezing cold lake, my gloves were wet and useless so my hands felt like icicles and honestly - I just wanted to head to the cafe for a nice cup of hot chocolate (because that's how I roll)

But I knew the best was yet to come. So I waited, and worked.

You may already know the feeling of driving away from a location just as the light turns.. That knowledge that if you'd stuck around, things were just about to get friggin' awesome. If not, it's a pretty crappy feeling! Trust me, it's always worth sticking it out. Sometimes you won't quite get what you're after, sometimes you'll get more than you ever could have hoped for. Usually at this time of day things change a lot, and quickly!

If I'm totally honest the shot below still wasn't quite what I was after. But it gave me something to take away from the shoot. I'd much rather come away a little disappointed, knowing I did everything I could, than look at my photos on the PC and wonder what they COULD have looked like if I'd stuck around!

So with that, I hope that for your next landscape/long exposure expedition, that you put a little extra time into planning your trip BEFORE you head out of the door. Whether it's feeling that bit warmer and more comfortable, or knowing you're aiming in the right direction, hopefully these few tips will help you elevate your work into something awesome!

For those of you that haven't already read it, part two of the series is still online here - https://steemit.com/longexposurephotography/@skiesandsports/long-exposure-101-pt-2-nd-filters-and-landscapes

As always, upvotes, comments, follows and resteems are HUGELY appreciated. I love putting effort into these posts and it's always great to see a good reaction. Equally I'm always happy to answer any questions!

Thanks for reading Steemians!!

All photos were taken by me and copyright Sansom Photography

Comments

[ilanaakoundi]

Wow stunning shots and very nice tutorial! Where is the lake you stumbled upon? I enjoyed all your shots and admire your skills and more importantly your hard work and patience. I enjoyed all of it...a big upvote! Looking forward to future posts! Now followed!

[photocontests]

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[ilanaakoundi]

I'm glad I found your blog, it's a nice resource for photography and photographers! Thanks!

[skiesandsports]

Thank you so much @ilanaakoundi! That's so good to hear! It was 'Wast Water' in the Lake District (Cumbria, England)!

[abdouni92]

nice

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[kanasite]

Welcome to Steem @skiesandsports. Feel free to follow me @kanasite and upvote. Cheers :)

[theaustrianguy]

Please remove the tag #introduceyourself, this has nothing to do with an introduction! Otherwise, great post with stunning pictures!

[skiesandsports]

That’s totally fair, I have to admit I was using the tag for more visibility! I’m on the app at the moment which is pretty sketchy on my phone but will update tomorrow :) and thanks!

[pippenoko]

Great Photos :) Looking forward to seeing more!