Project six: Photo Apps - The Photographer's Ephemeris

George Cairns demonstrates how to shoot a scene in the best light using The Photographer’s Ephemeris

- George Cairns

The position of the sun makes a dramatic difference to the quality of your shots. If the sun is hanging behind a landmark it will plunge the subject into silhouette. When the sun is behind your Nikon, the subject will be bathed with a flat wash of light, causing the photo to lack contrast. However, if the sun illuminates a location from an angle, then the mix of shadows and highlights helps bring out the shapes and forms of buildings and landscapes.

Thanks to The Photographer’s Ephemeris, you can plan your shoots to ensure that any subject is lit from the most flattering angle. The app can show you any point on a map where the sun (or moon) will be at any given time. As well as planning trips, you can recce a location using the app’s augmented reality mode. This combines the video feed of your device’s camera with a preview of how the position of the shadows will change in that location at any given time.

Discover key features of the app

1. Choose a location