With the New Year fast approaching, there will be many people with their cameras out, eagerly anticipating that last drop of golden glow on New Year’s Eve and that first ray of light on New Year’s Day. Below are some tips passed on by professional photographers to help you capture those fleeting moments.

Warning! Before we get started, there are a few things you need to consider:

• Never stare directly at the sun as it could permanently damage your eyes.
• Wear protective eye wear. Make sure you have a hat and some sunscreen handy too.
• Your camera can be severely damaged if it is constantly pointed at the sun. The zoom lens absorbs the sun’s rays, causing the inside of the camera to heat up and suffer burn marks.
• Most cameras only blend down to the chosen/automatic aperture when the photo is taken.
• You need to have a decent camera and tripod.

Tip #1: Objects

Most professional photographers recommend having an object apart from the sun in their picture. Objects add value, interest, and depth, and can be anything from a tree or silhouette of a person, to a building or some other foreground detail.

Tip #2: Timing

You don’t want to go through all the effort to set up if you don’t have enough time to actually get the shot. Make sure you know exactly when the sun is going to rise or set, and arrive early enough to check out the surroundings, figure out where the best location for the shoot will be, and set up any necessary props.

Tip #3: Camera Focus

Does your camera have an autofocus-ready light that goes on when you are in full focus? Although many photographers rely on this feature, some professionals recommend using a manual setting and focusing the camera on the infinity setting to lock the focus. This will help to avoid a blur.

Tip #4: Get Creative

If you want to experiment with your photography, try a few practice sunrises and sunsets before to see what works for “the big day”. Play with the exposure setting to create different effects. According to ePHOTOzine, if the camera has a built-in flash, you can set the exposure to under expose the background and allow the flash to provide the correct exposure for foreground detail. Foreground detail and a wider aperture can throw the background subtly out of focus with a flash to create better exposure for a foreground object. It is NOT a good idea to over expose the sky and emphasise the sun.

Create silhouettes by keeping the picture metering with a strong back light source, and creating under exposure for objects in the foreground. It is also recommended to set the camera to the smallest aperture to give a greater depth of field. To create motion in waves at a beach, some photographers rest the camera on some rocks and select a half second shutter speed at f/9.5.

Tip #5: Light Metering

Professionals recommend you take a reading of the camera meter. To do this, point your camera at the sky and move position so the sun is just out of the frame. Take a reading and use the exposure lock or set the exposure manually with this reading as reference. This will help to open up a stop or two and give more detail to the shadowy areas of the surrounds. Under exposure can give the sun a rich, dramatic colour, while long exposure is best used when the sun sets and light is low. Long exposure is fantastic to use at the beach as it gives the sea a smooth, misty surface.

Tip #6: Clouds and Weather

Check the forecast and come prepared. Light clouds, mist, or haze can enhance the drama and quality of a sunrise or sunset photograph. With sunlight filtering through the clouds, the sky will be filled with vivid colours and light, creating some spectacular photographs.

John Day, the late co-author of “The Book of Clouds”, said the best sunsets generally occur when mid-level clouds (either alto-stratus or alto-cumulus) are present, because they often cause the deep, red sunsets. When sunlight hits cirrus clouds near sunset, they tend to turn orange or yellow. Big, puffy cumulus clouds usually do not produce colourful photos.

Where will you be seeing in the first sunrise of 2013?

Feature image courtesy of Moyan_Brenn (flickr)