Sunburst photography involves capturing images with the sun in frame. The bright rays of sun are captured by either blocking it with a subject
or capturing it in full vigor. Sunburst photography is extremely difficult but can be very beautiful. Sunbursts look best when they have particles in them and the sunbeams appear in water.
Sunbursts can be shot better with greater shutter speed and base ISO. This provides a dynamic range and yields wonderful images. Aperture control is extremely important since sunbursts often have rings around them when overexposed. If strobes are being used for lighting the foreground, it is important to use maximum shutter speed. Shooting at small aperture, between f11 and f22 or f8 require strong strobes to light up the foreground subject.
Sunlight fades away into the depth and that creates different shades of blue. The light coming from sun creates interesting shades and formations underwater. Capturing sunbursts can be little tricky even with the latest DSLRs on the block. This is so because it involves the risk of over exposed shots, patched graduations or complete failure in capturing a sunray. This makes capturing sunbursts a real challenge.
Certain techniques help while capturing sunbursts with the digital cameras and the key factors involved in capturing a good sunburst include the depth, time of the day, shutter speed and visibility. Shallow waters (5m-10m) yield better sunburst shots since there is diffusion of light at greater depths. Early mornings and evenings are better for sunbursts as there are much longer and intense rays which can be easily captured. Greater shutter speeds help in freezing the sunrays and smaller apertures can be used to balance the exposure. Visibility and murkiness are also the two important factors while shooting sunbursts.
Underexposing the shots can yield better results as it can prevent burning out of sun and make sunrays more clear against a deeper blue background. If burning out can’t be avoided, blocking the sun with the subject or reefs can work best. Turning off the strobes can even help you shoot a lovely silhouette with the same setup.