The Photographer's Ephemeris

One of the most amazing photographic applications I've come across in a long time is a free piece of software called The Photographer's Ephemeris. It's available for downlooad at http://stephentrainor.com/tools
   
What it does is provide landscape photographers with precise information in graphical format on the directions in which the sun and moon will rise and set.

Such directions of course vary widely throughout the year and I've had many a shoot spoiled because I've misjudged, for example, the precise location of the sunrise. Thanks to this application that will never happen again.

Yesterday I went to Ballycotton in East Cork to photograph the sunrise. I had checked the Ephemeris for the direction in which the sun would rise and it gave me the following information:

I knew therefore that it would rise to the south-east of Ballycotton and so I took up position accordingly. Had it been June for instance the sun would have risen to the north-east.

This was the result:

 
All in all, a wonderful application that will be very useful to landscape photographers.