The sun, as both a subject and a lighting source, is taken very much for granted. It's more often there than not, and it's free. It's only a slight inconvenience that it's basically uncontrollable... and if one day it isn't shining quite brightly enough then hopefully it will be the next day. Many people make the decision to take pictures depending on whether the sun is shining or not. For photographers it's usually the deciding factor on which type of film to use, slow to medium speed in bright conditions or fast if the weather is dull. Digital users don’t have to make such calculations as the push of a button and turn of a dial changes the camera’s sensitivity at will.

We know that in theory the sun is going to appear each new day but what we don't know, although weather forecasters claim to have some knowledge and insight, is whether the sun is going to be visible through breaks in cloud, fog, haze or intermittent rain. In short the sun is predictable in nature but totally unpredictable as a photographic subject.

High in the Sky
When it is visible the sun has two distinct appearances. During the day (O.K. I know the sun is only seen during the day otherwise it would be night) the sun is high in the sky, bright to the eye, and about as unforgiving in terms of exposure, contrast and subtlety as it can possibly be. During the periods of transition from darkness to light and lightness to dark, the short periods of dawn and dusk, the sun is at its best... big, fiery, colourful and close enough to the horizon and other terrestrial subjects to be worth photographing.

Whilst you will have noticed many times that the rising and setting sun often takes on a huge roundness when on and just above the horizon the camera never reveals this true size on the negative. The images of a huge sun seen in TV wildlife documentaries and glossy holiday magazines are produced using long telephoto lenses. To fill the entire 24mm narrow width of a 35mm negative with the sun's image would require a 2,400mm focal length telephoto lens. The longest lens used by most serious photographers is a 500mm Reflex or "mirror" lens which produces an image of the sun measuring 5mm in diameter on the negative.

If you don't own a 500mm lens but have a 400mm, 300mm or even a 70-210mm telephoto-zoom, which is a very popular general purpose lens, the purchase of a good quality x2 converter will double its maximum focal length and produce something approaching an reasonable sized image in the camera.

All you have to do now is seek the sun! When you're without a camera the chances are you'll be confronted with a glorious sunset or sunrise. The other part of Murphy's Law says that you won't see the sun at all when you're suitably equipped. The only solution is to carry a camera at all times and be prepared for the unexpected.