Sunset/Sunrise Photos

[Lan-Lord]

It seems like I am always looking for a photograph. I will be driving my car down the road and I'll say, man if I had time, I'll pull over and shoot that.. Especially when it comes to sunsets or sunrises.. sometimes I will see some really nice color in the sky and say, wow, that would make a great sunset (or sunrise) to photograph. But usually something is missing.. here are the things that roll through my head that would make a powerful sunset/sunrise. I sometimes try to keep a list of places in mind that meet the following critieria, so that I will have a place to run to when I see the beginnings of a great sunrise/sunset

1) Obviously great color from the sun
2) Clouds - clouds really hold and reflect a lot of the sun's colors
3) Foreground/Background - I prefer to have a place without distracting objects (powerlines, unappealing structures)
4) Silhouettes - silhouettes are amazing during sunsets/rises. mountain ranges, or distinguished buildings, wildlife, or naturescapes are something that I look for.
5.) Water - water just amplifies the favorable attributes above.

[edit]Mike (Ridn9) had some sweet shots utilizing a sunset and maximizing his foreground (it was basically a macro with a sunset background) by making the foreground his primary objective, rather than trying to open up the entire landscape as his target.. I must say that really opens up a lot of options when maybe all of my preferred factors are not available. Like, for example, if there are a lot of powerlines, I could just look a little smaller and eliminate them as a distractive element in the photo.


What ingredients do you look for in a good sunrise/sunset photo?

 

[AZBob]

The clouds are the key element to me, and it is virtually impossible for me to predict the quality of the sunset by the way the clouds look. Some days I think it's going to be something special, and it never materializes.

I usually don't really get anything notable in the shot, other than the sky and the horizon, but earlier this month I happened to get a hot air ballon firing it's burner as the sun came up.

 

[tpetty]

Great capture AZBOB. The colors and composition are great even without the balloon, but that definitely adds a dramatic touch. I like your elements lan-lord. One thing I would add is the backside of the sunset or sunrise. In other words shots in the eastern sky as the sun sets and vice verca. Lan-lord, letz have a look at one.