Turn Around

God Beams at Sunset — Jordan Lake, NC © jj raia

 

There has always been a simple rule to remember when you’re photographing the landscape, especially when the sun rises or sets. Don’t forget to look behind you. Chances are you are so focused on what is in your viewfinder that you tune out everything else; you are zoned in on what is before you. When you’re shooting the sun along the horizon, we have a tendency to continually look in that direction, and for good reason. That is usually where the most interest lies. But the other night, after Hurricane (Tropical Storm by that time) Florence blew through, my son and I went out in hopes that some of the beautiful cloud formations would make for an interesting sky as the sun set. We were faced with quite a dilemma though, it seemed there were interesting clouds everywhere, and the sun was lighting them continually in beautiful and various ways. Luckily, we were at a location by Jordan Lake that allowed for us to look in almost any direction with a clear view of at least part of the lake and the sky without being blocked by trees. Initially, we were drawn to the beams of light streaking across the sky emanated from behind the clouds. So we managed to click off a few shots before the beams disappeared. But it was nothing extraordinary.

Hoping for Success

Clearing Storm at Jordan Lake © jj raia

There is nothing better to help a photographer than to have a real familiarity with an area that you photograph on a regular basis. Whether it’s the city or the countryside, knowing your local area can be rewarding by easily determining where the best chances of success might be in making choices of where to head at a moments notice when the weather is pushing you to grab your camera and attempt to capture what is happening. Simply being at a location and seeing potential for a future photograph does not end the research. It should continue by looking over maps of the area and checking with The Photographer’s Ephemeris (click here) to determine where the sun will be at sunset and sunrise during all the seasons. Doing the same for planning trips can have an enormous impact on your successes, at the very least, to place you where optimal conditions may exist for the best photographs. Unfortunately though, it is the weather conditions that will ultimately determine that success. There is nothing worse than having a beautiful sunrise and not being at a location to utilize it; and conversely, it’s very disappointing being at a great location and not getting that great light we all seek.