Light in Photography -   LIGHTING - Sunlight - Effect of Time of day - Sunrise

Sunrise -

Sunrise, which is also called sunup in some American English dialects, is when the sun first appears above the horizon in the east and casts shadows on the area we intend to photograph. Because atmospheric refraction causes the sun to be seen while it is still below the horizon, both sunrise and sunset are, from one point of view, optical illusions. The sun also appears larger on the horizon, but this is another optical illusion, similar to the moon illusion. Sunrise and sunset are associated with the leading and trailing edges of the sun, and not the center. So when we first we the leading edge of the sun appear, we deem it to be risen and like wise when the trailing edge disappears over the horizon the sun is deemed to be set.

Surprisingly, the actual point of sunrise and sunset can be less dramatic than when the clouds are lit from beneath just before this time at dawn (or Dusk).

This can be even more so when the sun rises above an obstruction like a hill - in situations like this because the sun is higher in the sky the predominant colour is more like we might associate with early morning. We can also find when the camera is pointed directly into the sun the image results ain a series of lens flares.

During this period the colour of the light is quite red rich - this alters quite rapidly as the sun rises in the sky to more natural white light or natural daylight. If our camera is set on auto white balance, so varying degrees we will cancel the intensity of the red orange light.

We should not forget that at the point when the sun is just above the horizon interesting subjects can be in other places than the sun itself, like in this image where the sun is striking obliquely onto the water and rock.