How to use a sun path planner for photography

What does a sun path planner help you decide?

It helps you choose when to visit a camera position by showing the sun’s direction, height and terrain-aware sunlight window. A golden-hour time alone does not say whether a ridge hides that light.

Use the plan to answer a specific question: when does the sun clear the mountains from this pin, and which direction will it come from? Then inspect the scene in 3D and compare nearby times.

Sunreach is coming soon to iPhone and iPad. Its global terrain makes the workflow useful across destinations, with finer local data where available.

How should I set up a landscape shot?

Select your camera position and date, read its direct-sun times, then move the clock in 3D to compare the direction and shadows. Check the exact position again on location.

1. Place the pin where you expect to stand.
2. Check sunrise and sunset alongside the direct-sun window.
3. Compare low warm light with the times the sun actually clears the skyline.
4. Use orbit and eye level to explore the composition.
5. On location, use the AR sun path as a visual aid. It lines itself up on the sun in the camera view, and matches the skyline only after you tap to look for it; you can drag sideways to correct it by hand. If your first pin is a few metres off, touch and hold it on the map or in 3D and drag it into place.

Does the camera pin tell me when my subject is lit?

No. A camera position and a distant mountain, wall or waterfall have different skylines. Analyse a separate pin for the subject, and treat vertical surfaces and overhangs with care.

A shaded lakeshore can face a lit peak. Conversely, sunshine at the camera does not guarantee front light on the subject. The current plan does not automatically solve a linked camera-and-subject setup.

Height models also cannot represent every cliff face. The El Capitan example explains why the selected point matters.

Can I plan drone or night photographs too?

Yes: a drone camera with height and hyperlapse controls (Sunreach Pro), plus moon phases, night windows and the Moon and Milky Way in 3D and AR, and an aurora forecast that says what Kp your spot needs over its skyline and when in the night it is best.

For aerial compositions, read the drone light-planning guide. For any plan, keep the data source and estimated timing accuracy beside the result.

The plan shows the Apple Weather forecast, peak light after sunset and a valley-fog outlook for the next days. Check current weather separately. A modelled light window does not guarantee colour, clear sky or access to the location.