It’s all about the light for photographers. Where it is, what it looks like and how intense it is. Accomplished photographers learn to study the light, and in hand with that is to study weather patterns to predict colors in the sunrise and sunsets.

The Photographer’s Epheremis is a smart device app that is used to determine the direction of the sun and moon rises and sets. This allows you to set your point of photographic destination and the date you’ll be visiting the location. This way you can prepare for the best time for the light you’re looking for.

It also provides a fee-based additional service called Skyfire which uses real meterological data to determine when those brightly colored sunrise and sunsets will occur. Currently only available for IOS at this time and used with the Photographer’s Epheremis, you can look up to three days in advance to see what day would be best.

Using the Epheremis for this morning’s sunrise, Skyfire predicted a lackluster sunrise. The skies were clear, and other than the golden reflection from the sun’s rising, Skyfire was spot on. No special light today. I had gone to photograph the Tundra Swans coming in for their breakfast along the point, and not only was the light dull, the swans were absent. So I walked away with this solo image of four mallard ducks in the golden light.

With minor edits in Lightroom, I brought it into Topaz Impression and used the Swirly strokes II filter at 50% opacity to soften the edges and give it a more painterly look.

At the rate this mild winter is going, it won’t be long before the Osprey arrive.