Why I Find Photographing Sunrise Much More Rewarding Than Sunset
If you follow my photography at all, you know that sunrise is my time of day. I love being out first thing in the morning. I’ve been thinking about how much this makes my day better and why the photos feel so much more rewarding than capturing a great sunset. for the sake of argument, I’m going to assume that photographer skill level is not a factor.
1 \\ Unpredictability
Sunset is easy. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but sunset is easy. You can clearly see whats going to happen. You’ve had all day to see how the clouds and weather are moving and you can see the light moving through the atmosphere. At sunrise, there’s a lot more chance to it. You can see a bit of what the clouds are in the pre-dawn glow but you never really know how the light will interact with the clouds. I’ve had more than a few mornings where I’ve woken up thinking the low bank of clouds on the horizon would block the sun only to have the sky explode.
Case in point is the Sunrise eclipse photo above. I woke up to see a band of low clouds but the sun still broke through and not only was the eclipse visible, but the sunrise was gorgeous, lighting up the clouds with beautiful pink and orange hues.
This unpredictability gives you a much bigger sense of accomplishment. To help take the edge off of the unpredictability, check out my guide to predicting sunrises.
Sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park
2 \\ Starting the Day
It doesn’t matter if you’re a morning person or a night owl, getting up for sunrise is hard. If you’re like me, you drag yourself out of bed and probably skip coffee to get those few extra minutes of sleep. However, getting out of bed and doing something first thing in the morning gets your day going like nothing else can. It energizes you and helps kick-start your routine.
I’ve had many a day when that are much better and more productive because I started it off with a sunrise. This even goes for the non-photographers out there. Tell me your day isn’t better when you’ve watched the sun come up. You get to see the world wake up you see moments that you otherwise wouldn’t see.
I won’t try to argue that sunset can’t have the same impact on your energy and mood. I would rather have that energy to get me through my whole day than add a dose of energy at the very end.
Sunrise lighting up Fitz Roy in Argentine Patagonia
3 \\ Its Not Easy
I’ve said it before, but its just not easy to get up early in the morning. Depending on the time of year and you latitude, it can mean getting up before 4:00 in the morning. The more you do it, the more you adjust to the odd alarms, but don’t kid yourself, its never really easy.
This is one of my favorite parts of capturing sunrises - you feel like you’ve conquered something.
Sunrise on Christmas Eve at Silver Sands State Park, Connecticut
4 \\ The Light is Different
I don’t know what it is about the light at sunrise that makes it different. Maybe its the memory of darkness that makes the first light or morning feel softer than the last light of day.
I feel I spend more time focused on the light just before sunrise - the deep blues that fade to gorgeous cotton-candy pinks before the fiery oranges and reds develop when the conditions are right. Sunset always seems to draw me to the light before the darkness.
Sunrise at the Reflecting Pool In Washington, DC
Conclusion \\
Whether you’re not an early riser or you’re looking to change up your photography, take on the sunrise as a way to invigorate not only your photography but your entire day.
Check out my guide to photographing epic sunrises
