SUNRISES & SUNSETS
Sunrise is one of my favorite times of day to photograph.   The allure of  the peacefulness found before the sun rises and life kicks into gear is strong, but the great reward is the unique and wonderful light that occurs just before and at the point of  the sun's rising. 

The other great time of day to shoot is sunset.  The light is soft and typically filtered through the atmosphere or layers of clouds.  It often bathes the subject in a glow you just can't get at other times of the day.  Shadows can be long and compliment the composition.  I often start my planning looking at the weather forecast and researching online sources for local times including such things as civil twilight, nautical twilight and the like. 

While research and planning can help, there are no guarantees you'll find optimal shooting conditions when you get to your destination.  You just go on faith since it is difficult to see the character of the light and sky two or more hours before actual sunrise or even sunset.  Nonetheless, these two ends of the day will remain our favorites, and we will continue to take the risk that we might get cold or tired to get that one splendid shot.

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