- 1). View the sun as it is rising or setting. Use the sunrise or sunset as a reference for photography you're planning in the morning.
- 2). Point the compass north. Its needle will automatically point north due to the magnetism of the earth. Line up the "N" marking on the compass with the needle. Hold the compass flat and wait for it to adjust.
- 3). Note the degree on the compass that corresponds to the direction of the setting or rising sun. Subtract the degree you see the sun rise or set at from 360. If the sun rises at 80 degrees on a northern-pointed compass, it will set at 260 degrees that night. If the sun sets at 240, subtract that from 360 to get 120. The calculation works both ways.
- 4). Use the compass points to plan the composition of your photography. Once you know where the sun will be at a certain time of the day you can begin to plan the direction you will be photographing and how the shadows will fall across objects.
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