Sunrises are more meaningful to photograph than sunsets, not in any technical sense, but because you don’t have daylight in which to anticipate where the sun will be on the horizon, and to see what mist or cloud cover there is. Ask around to find the best spots to watch the sun come up, and find out when it arrives - sometimes the time is listed in local papers. The rewards for getting up early can be great. At this time of day there is often a different kind of light, a beautifully quiet and soft quality with none of the flame and fire associated with sunsets. This morning light can also invade city and harbourside streets — the sea will be calmer than in the evenings - when everyone is asleep, bringing picture opportunities.

The rules for sunsets apply similarly to sunrises, but if you are on any elevated spot, or in a wide open space, such as a desert or steppes, a wide angle will show the full extent of the flooding colour and light. A long lens, on the other hand, will show the shimmering outlines of the sun, which emerges like a living being, changing it colours and shape by the second. The action will happen quick- ly: and you will need to fire off rapid numbers of shots to get the best results.There are many famous high spots to visit to witness the sun's arrival, casting the shadow of the hill or mountain and exploding like a rainbow ripple around the horizon. Some, like Mount Fuji, can be crowded. Since ancient times the rising sun has been celebrated, making places such as Machu Pic- chu and Adanfs Peak particularly magical at this time of day.