How to Reading the Sky for Landscape Photography and the Tools I Use
Reading the Sky
In landscape photography, it is important to learn to read the sky and how it will affect the terrain you are trying to photograph, as it is the only light source you have. You can never fully predict the conditions you are going to get, you can only research and plan as much as possible and take advantage of the condition the best you can. There are 3 main components in landscape lighting, the weather condition, time of day, and the terrain you are in. Understanding how these 3 elements interplay with each other and how it will affect your image is the key to landscape photography.
01. Weather Condition
Weather forecasting is not perfect but it is still best to research, and plan for the weather as best possible to allow for the best chance of good light for the location you are in. Different cloud formations can create different moods in your photos, learn to find beauty in all of the different conditions, clear sky, cloudy sky, rain, storm, or snow can completely change how a landscape look and feel. Try to think of “bad weather conditions" as opportunities to create something unique, as that is usually when people won’t go out and shoot.
Learn to read the clouds, different cloud formations affect light differently at different times of the day. Before and during a hike, I am constantly checking the weather to try to predict what kind of conditions I will get when I get to my destination.
02. Time of Day
With natural light, timing is everything, the lighting intensity, amount of diffusion, to the colour of the light, the condition is constantly changing throughout the day, and also differs in different seasons. The golden hour during sunrise and sunset is my favourite time to shoot, as it gives a golden cinematic lighting to the image. It is also important to learn to appreciate and shoot in other lighting conditions so you are not limited to shooting during a small section of the day, and be able to capture a moment whenever an opportunity arises and create when things do not go as planned.
Plan and time your hikes, to make sure you get to your destination in time for the best possible lighting for the terrain you are trying to photograph.
03. The Terrain
Understanding how the light and weather conditions will affect the look of a terrain is important. Some terrain may be best to photograph during sunrise but not sunset, some may only be good during the middle of a cloudy day such as a forest, and sometimes it is best during or after the rain such as a waterfall. Depending on what you are trying to create, different terrains require different lighting or weather conditions.
When you are at the location, try to imagine seeing the place from a bird's eye view, and try to see where the sun will be at a certain time, the type of light it would be, and where the light and shadow would hit in the scene. When I arrive at a destination the first thing I would do is to walk around and scout for shooting locations, analyse, and try to predict how the light will affect the terrain before I shoot. This way I know the spots I need to try hit at different times to maximise my chance of getting a good shot.
You will be amazed at how accurate your predictions can be just by taking some time to analysis it. Also by doing it as a habit every time before you shoot will help sharpen your prediction and location recognition and scouting skills over time.
Tools I Use
Here are some FREE apps and websites I use to help me plan my trip. But any apps or websites that tell you where the sun will be and the weather conditions will do the job.
SUN SURVEYOR LITE APP
This is my go-to app when I am at a location. It tells me exactly where the sun will be at different times of the day.
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ratana.sunsurveyorlite&hl=en_AU
IOS
https://apps.apple.com/au/app/sun-surveyor-sun-moon/id525176875
BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY (BOM) - AUSTRALIA
I use BOM to check the weather conditions before I go on any hike. They have a satellite radar of the clouds conditions, a great tool to try to predict the weather and potential lighting of the area.
Website
http://www.bom.gov.au
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.gov.bom.metview&hl=en_AU
GOOGLE AND APPLE MAPS
I use the 3d Map feature in Google and Apple Maps to check out the terrain of the location and try analysis and predict what the light will be light at different times.
Google Maps 3D View