Photography
Photoshoot sun-scouting checklist
Leave a location scout with a shot plan you can use on the day. Record where to stand, when to shoot and what to change if the planned light disappears.
By SunCast team Last updated: October 14, 2026
Short answer
A photoshoot sun-scouting checklist should identify the camera and subject positions, intended lighting, shoot date, local timezone, usable time window, obstructions and a backup. Save a reference frame from the actual camera position and label light timings as predicted or confirmed on site.
Copy this sun-scouting shot record
Complete one record per setup. Use the shoot location’s local time, and make the backup specific enough for another person to follow.
- Setup and reference frame
- Shot name: ___; camera position: ___; subject position: ___; reference photo: ___.
- Date and local time
- Shoot date: ___; timezone: ___; access and setup time: ___.
- Intended light
- Front, side, backlight or open shade: ___; camera direction: ___; sun azimuth and elevation: ___.
- Usable window
- Planned start: ___; planned end: ___; timing estimated or checked on site: ___.
- Obstructions and access
- Shadow source or blocked horizon: ___; permission needed: ___; access confirmed: ___.
- Backup and handover
- Cloud or obstruction trigger: ___; alternative composition: ___; final recheck time: ___.
Turn the scout into a usable shot plan
Give each setup its own record. Two compositions at the same location may need different camera positions, access arrangements and sun angles. A pin for the whole park is not enough to recreate a particular frame.
NOAA defines azimuth as direction around the horizon and elevation as height above it. Record those angles alongside the camera direction so the numbers describe a composition, not just a time on a calendar.
The usable window usually ends before the published sunset. In Lisbon on 21 June the sun sets at 21:05 local time at an azimuth of 302°. If rooftops or a ridge rise 5° above the horizon behind your subject, direct light leaves the scene at 20:31, about 35 minutes earlier. By 21 December sunset has moved to 240°, 62° further south, so a backlit setup scouted in June needs a new camera position in winter (calculated with SunCast’s sun calculator).
Decide what the light should do before selecting a time. For example, Nikon’s silhouette guidance uses backlighting to place a darker subject against a brighter background. The companion light-direction article explains the lighting choices; this checklist captures the setup you choose.
Complete the checklist during the scout
1. Scout remotely if you cannot visit
Open the location in SunCast’s Street View Sun Path and check where the sun sits in the panorama at the planned time. Note the bearing you will shoot towards.
2. Recreate the camera position
On site, stand where the camera will be and make a reference frame. Note subject placement and the part of the background that must remain visible.
3. Overlay the shoot date in AR
From the camera position, open the AR Sun Tracker, set the shoot date and move through the session. Note when the path drops behind rooflines, trees or terrain; that moment ends your direct-light window.
4. Copy the numbers into the record
Take the sun’s azimuth and elevation, plus golden hour and blue hour times, from Sun Times & Position Data. Write them in the shoot location’s local time and leave time to set up before the window opens.
5. Write a workable backup
Specify a second composition or an open-shade setup and the condition that triggers it. Check the hourly cloud cover forecast close to the shoot, and set a Solar Alarm before sunset so you reach the spot in time.
Use SunCast to fill the planning fields
Keep predicted solar geometry separate from weather and access checks.
| SunCast feature | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Browser sun calculator | Read sun azimuth and elevation for the location, date and time you intend to use. |
| Street View Sun Path | See the sun’s path over a Street View panorama of a location you have not visited. |
| AR Sun Tracker | Check the sun path against the real scene from the camera position on iPhone or iPad. |
| Sun times, cloud cover and alarms | Golden hour, blue hour and twilight times, an hourly cloud cover forecast, and Solar Alarms before sunrise, sunset and other sun events. |
Check these before sharing the plan
No camera position
A sun bearing has little practical value if the next person cannot find the intended composition.
Only one timestamp
A single target time leaves no room for setup or a moving shadow. Record the interval and what limits it.
Vague backup instructions
“Try somewhere else” is not a second setup. Name the location, composition and trigger.
Limits
This checklist records a plan. It cannot guarantee light or access: a cloud forecast can be wrong, and temporary obstacles and moving subjects only show on the day. Confirm permissions separately.
Check it in SunCast
Check solar direction for your intended camera position, then save the angles and local time in the shot record.
Frequently asked questions
Which timezone belongs in the shot plan?
Use the shoot location’s timezone and include the date. Do not assume the time shown on a travelling team member’s phone is the location’s local time.
Does every shot need its own checklist?
Use a separate record when the camera position, subject, lighting goal or access requirement changes. Closely related frames can share a record if those conditions stay the same.
What should I hand to another photographer?
Share the reference frame, camera and subject positions, dated local time window, access notes and specific backup. Mark which details you checked on site and which remain estimates.
