Epic Sunsets?

[Merlin5]

Hi chaps. I want to do a long exposure of Tower Bridge with my 10 stop ND filter and it would really be elevated with a great sky. I'm wondering if there's a way to know in advance if the sky will be particularly colourful at sunset? My BBC weather app tells me most of next week will be sunny, (although I think it's being very optimistic as other weather apps say rain for days) but that obviously can't tell me what kind of sky and clouds there'll be. Maybe there isn't a way to know and I just go there and hope for the best?

 

[GreenNinja67]

Thomas Heaton uses a website to let him know if there'll be high clouds which is want you want.

I think it's called clear outside. https://clearoutside.com/forecast/50.7/-3.52


Also available as an app.

 

[Merlin5]

Thomas Heaton uses a website to let him know if there'll be high clouds which is want you want.

I think it's called clear outside. https://clearoutside.com/forecast/50.7/-3.52


Also available as an app.

Thanks Terry. Just reading through the Clear Outside Tour to see how all the colours and numbers work. Looks quite useful.

 

[wookie6262]

I have used Clear Outside for a good while and it is pretty good. What you are looking for is no or little low clouds and then around 50% middle and high. That allows a clear space for the sun and gaps in the clouds to let the light through. It is far from an exact science though

 

[Merlin5]

I have used Clear Outside for a good while and it is pretty good. What you are looking for is no or little low clouds and then around 50% middle and high. That allows a clear space for the sun and gaps in the clouds to let the light through. It is far from an exact science though

Ah thanks Simon, I couldn't figure out why there's rows saying low, medium, high and total clouds but what you said helps. Ok so here's the sky and composition I want to get. Scroll down to tower bridge and dolphin fountain photo. https://www.trevorsherwin.co.uk/blog/top-5-locations-to-take-long-exposure-photos-in-london

Could I be confident to get a similarly coloured sky just based on a small percentage of low clouds and 50% of the others?

 

[wookie6262]

Ah thanks Simon, I couldn't figure out why there's rows saying low, medium, high and total clouds but what you said helps. Ok so here's the sky and composition I want to get. Scroll down to tower bridge and dolphin fountain photo. https://www.trevorsherwin.co.uk/blog/top-5-locations-to-take-long-exposure-photos-in-london

Could I be confident to get a similarly coloured sky just based on a small percentage of low clouds and 50% of the others?

Not sure confident is the right word but it would certainly put the odds in your favour. If you are looking for the streaky clouds in the sky you need some wind too. You will also need to look where the sun is. You sometimes get great colours in the sky opposite where the sun is setting too. The shot you linked looks like the sun is setting to the right of frame. I like the light but not sure of the composition

 

[LeeRatters]

I tend to use Clear Outside & Ventusky. As said, you want zero low cloud (to the west) & some high/mid cloud around you.

 

[Merlin5]

Not sure confident is the right word but it would certainly put the odds in your favour. If you are looking for the streaky clouds in the sky you need some wind too. You will also need to look where the sun is. You sometimes get great colours in the sky opposite where the sun is setting too. The shot you linked looks like the sun is setting to the right of frame. I like the light but not sure of the composition

I tend to use Clear Outside & Ventusky. As said, you want zero low cloud (to the west) & some high/mid cloud around you.

Excellent. Thanks guys.

 

[wookie6262]

I tend to use Clear Outside & Ventusky. As said, you want zero low cloud (to the west) & some high/mid cloud around you.

thanks for the tip on Ventusky. Looks a great site

 

[ScottT]

As well as using Clear Outside dont forget the old "red sky at night" saying with the forecast for the next few days not looking good i would be looking at getting out for sunset when the weather is due to change for the better the next day.

 

[Musicman]

Not sure confident is the right word but it would certainly put the odds in your favour. If you are looking for the streaky clouds in the sky you need some wind too. You will also need to look where the sun is. You sometimes get great colours in the sky opposite where the sun is setting too. The shot you linked looks like the sun is setting to the right of frame. I like the light but not sure of the composition

That is taken from the riverside terrace outside the Tower Hotel. For over a decade, I used to work a few minutes walk from there.

In the summer, the sun is going to set quite a long way north (WNW) and that view is almost directly south - you are correct, the sun will be well out of frame to the right.

If you are after the sun in the frame, or at least the best sky shortly after sunset, then you are probably better off on the south side of the river near All Bar One.

This was taken from that spot in 2011, although around half an hour before sunrise, when the Thames had gone completely calm (I was doing maintenance on our office servers in downtime over night!)

Tower Bridge, in reflection by
Rob Telford, on Flickr

The only thing is that these days, unless you are very careful, you will have the Walkie Talkie building cluttering the bridge with this view . :-/


ITBA: It's that Bridge Again by Rob Telford, on Flickr

 

[nandbytes]

Clear outside has already been mentioned....
you can also use photopills app or the photographer's ephemeris to workout where the sun rises and sets and hence plan out your golden hour shots plus shooting locations.

Google earth desktop app could help with this too if you know how to use it.