georgevedwards Loc: Essex, Maryland.

Now that's a good one! Perfect!

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Sorry I cant help. I dont get up till 9 0r 10 o'clock. Im up most all night. Now sunsets some times I get to see. And the moon I see that when its not clouldy. Im sure youl get some real good advice on this site. Ive seen some beautiful sunrises posted here.

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

John, I was a navy man and the saying goes. Red skyes at night saliors delight. Red skys in the morning sailors take warning. Dont know where it came from just heard it that way.

jbslord Loc: Coventry UK

I have noticed some weathermen will give you the sunrise and sunset times on the late weather. As we move into spring it is worth noting that the length of day increases by as much as 5 minutes either side of the day every day. The best time for shooting always seems to me to be just before sunrise and just after sunset.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

I thought the best times for shooting were just before I got up in the morning or just after I went to bed at night.

Trevor Dennis Loc: New Zealand (South Island)

There seem to be some very short sighted, unimaginative posts in this thread. It is an entirely legitimate question IMO.

If I want a beach sunrise then I have a 15K drive to get there, and would obviously have to make that journey before the sun comes up. It would seem sensible to try and maximise your chances of success before losing the sleep and wasting the fuel.

Where I live, I know that southerlies are likely to bring dark dramatic skies, and nor-westerly’s have the best chance of the sort of cloud cover that might give you a decent sunrise.

There is software out there, but I don't know how effective it is:

http://photoephemeris.com/

Then there are natural events like volcanic eruptions and major bush fires. I live in the southern hemisphere, and had amazing sunsets and sunrises shortly after the Chile’s Puyehue eruption in 2011, and we had amazing skies after the huge Australian bush fires in 2009.

If you don’t mind getting early to see how things are panning out, then rain radar is a good predictor. I wrangled a password for the service our local council uses, and that gives me an animation of the previous three hours. This is the map as it looks right now, but it needs some interpreting as it is pretty grey looking out of my window.

mtbiker2 Loc: Metiden Ct

I emailed "wxedge.com" with the same question. they can send an answer better than I could ever. You may try www.usno.navy.mil.com They will give the time of sun rise around the world. Get up early and dress warm.

country Loc: back woods

[quote=lighthouse]


The most reliable method I have found is to go by the old adage "Red sky at night, shepherds delight - red sky in the morning shepherds warning"


never heard it like that before, always heard it as sailors, not shepherds...

mtbiker2 Loc: Metiden Ct

John I think that is an OLD sea story.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Does it really matter whether its sailors or shepherds or farmers or whatever? The same principle applies.
Fact of the matter is that you have just added another post without adding anything at all to answering the question.
We have 12 pages here and only about 6 people have seriously tried to provide any meaningful input into predicting conditions.

We have comments from people virtually ridiculing the poster and another for even daring to ask the question.
There are about 6 pages of "me too" comments, about 2 pages of photos of sunsets that add nothing to the discussion.
The potentially best one looks like a massively overprocessed HDR.

I congratulate the poster for asking the question, for trying to better their knowledge base.
And I congratulate those who answered this very valid question in a respectful way.

Rainlover Loc: Qld Australia

I don't know the answer except to suggest that you keep a journal.

Good weather is no good for the pic.

Poor weather would be best however it is up to you to take what you see and turn it into something special.

Location would also make a difference. Where does the sun rise in relation to the foreground subject. You could simply move a mile North or South and get something totally different.

Good Luck with the shot.

James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)

YEP!!! That is the best... I get up one (1) hour (sometimes two (2) hours) before the sun to get to the location that I feel will give me the best image at sunrise... Sometimes this also will take a days hike and camping at THAT location overnight.. But, I do usually get the "shot" I am after.

fotkaman Loc: Earth

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Sheila B

BWright, I understand fully what you mean. You, like me, need to travel a distance to set up for that special pic and it would be so nice to know ahead of time if you should run out. Why leave our warm beds? I'm guessing what these guys are saying is to just go! If you are lucky you will get your pic! I'm sure they have had their share of unlucky trips out!
Too many times I dawdled and lost out on what I hoped to get!
Just go and you will come back with something!

country Loc: back woods

all i was saying , is the saying was quoted wrong.. letting the op know that it was sailors who said this, therefore probably goes for the coastal area more so than way inland... now your response on the other hand was of no use, complaining about everybody else's responses, and doing the very thing you were complaining about...