The progress of sun from sunrise in the east to sunset at the west causes sunlight to behave in entirely different ways during this period. The progression of light from sunrise in the morning to mid noon is actually reversed from mid noon to sunset. But other factors like the presence of due or mist which is there in the morning but is all dried up and gone by afternoon, (as a result the images shot in evening light will appear crispier) the angle of shadows cast, the tint of pink or yellow present etc are all entirely different.
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| Photo By Theophilis |
Light during sunrise is soft when compared to the light happening during sunset, shadows at sunset are longer due to the low angle of the setting sun. While sunlight has a pink shade to it at sunrise, at sunset it has an orange-red or golden tint to it. Making the sky and clouds appear saturated in various shades of red. That is the reason why sunsets are among the most photographed of all things on earth.
Evenings are an ideal time to shoot landscapes; the extending shadows enhance the texture and shape and also give them a more dramatic look. It is also the perfect time to shoot silhouettes.
During the days of film, camera’s had a hard time coping with the myriad tones of the sunsets, as the white balance settings on them will try to compensate and thus dull all the colours out of the scene. But modern day digital camera’s even have a dedicated sunset mode or white balance pre-set, which when chosen will enhance the appearance of the sky during sunset making even average sunsets appear majestic.
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| Photo By Extra Medium |
Like during sunrise, it is actually possible to capture the sun in your picture during sunset, due to the lower power of the sun during the time, but if not done correctly it could ruin your camera and also damage your eyes.
Quick Tip
If you wish to shoot people along with the setting sun, it is better to use a zoom lens to get the sun large enough in the frame.
In the next article we will discuss about Photography - Types of Light - Night Photography
