Dawn and dusk have become two of my favorite times to photograph the landscape. There’s a five, sometimes ten, minute window that can be magical. The light is subtle and dependent upon the conditions on the opposite horizon. If an alpenglow occurs and the soft pink sky reflects onto your subject, it takes on a quality unlike anything else Mother Nature provides. It doesn’t have the wow factor of, “OMG” would you look at that, so it often goes unnoticed. It’s the trained and conditioned eye that finds and takes advantage of it. Learn its nuances and you’ll find the need to arrive at each location a bit earlier and stay a bit later than you’ve been used to.

Check the sunrise time of your destination on the internet, with a GPS, a smart phone, or any other source. Many photographers arrive at this time but you’ll find me set up and ready to make my first image thirty minutes before. The magic of dawn light actually begins about twenty to twenty five minutes prior to sunrise, but I’m a big proponent of being prepared and being early just in case something big happens. I set up my shot and watch the sky in all directions. If all goes well, a warm colored pastel tone begins to evolve. A pink tone is imparted to the landscape. Watch how this bounced color illuminates the different formations. As it does, capture the soft quality of light. When it disappears, the light will go flat until the sun starts to light up the landscape so be prepared for a lull in the action.  

AM Bonus: Clear mornings are good candidates for an alpenglow. While landscape photographers often desire clouds to add intrigue to an image, an alpenglow is also warmly welcomed. A bonus of a crystal clear morning is the cool temperature. While it’s not fun to be cold, cooler night time temperatures translate into potential mist rising off a body of water. Add in bounced alpenglow onto a majestic scenic and it’s a recipe for a winning shot.

Silhouettes at Sunset: Alpenglow skies make gorgeous backdrops for silhouettes. While mornings work equally as well, I want to address what occurs in the evening. A scenario I see all too often is as soon as the sun drops below the horizon, a tall mountain peak, or a red rock formation of the southwest, photographers make an exodus to their cars believing the show is over. What they don’t realize is some of the best possible light of the day may still be ahead of them. Admittedly, right after the sun sets, there is a lull in the drama. It’s this lull that drives people to leave. But if the conditions are right, the sky may light up in a bath of pink, orange and red. I love to photograph silhouettes when this happens. I look for formations that have interesting shapes and vary in size. Add in surfaces that reflect the light and a plethora of compositions unfold. Meter off the sky as opposed to the shape of the silhouette as the purpose is to create rich blacks in the interesting shapes. In post processing, a boost in color works well to enhance the effect. Be careful to not go overboard as the end result should be believable.

Clouds: Dawn and dusk skies filled with clouds have the potential to go electric. If you’re at a location and this phenomenon sets up, look for subject material that fits where the clouds stacks up. Be prepared to move quickly as the magic is short lived. Foreground objects can enhance the composition but it’s often the skyscape you’re after. A wide angle zoom comes in very handy as does a polarizer if you’re shooting at right angles to the sun. Keep the ISO low and use a tripod to get the best quality out of the file. A quick check of the weather forecast provides info to capture the opportunity.

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Nature Photo Tours. Visit russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, email me to be placed on my Tip of the Week list and to receive announcements about upcoming tours specials or to pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.