Pretty much agree with most folks here. Anyone can shoot sunrises but anyone can also shoot just about anything else. While there are some technical differences when dealing with dynamic range and attempting to get the sun to "look right", what usually separates a "documentation shot" from art is no different than any other subject...proper composition.
Interestingly enough, I'm actually in the process of writing a book on shooting sunrises (should be done before years end if my wife keeps my honey-do list to a minimum.). I'm certainly not a great author or anything!
But through the years, I've seen people struggle through trying to shoot sunrises better (myself included!) as they are a very popular subject for obvious reasons. The questions that arise and the answers to those questions were the basis for the book, not just another "how to" periodical.
Anyway, the top two things we struggle with when taking sunrise photographs, in my opinion, are dealing with dynamic range properly and creating a compelling composition....the latter being the same issue we struggle with in ALL photographs.
While not always the case, in most sunrise photographs, the sun or pretty sky itself doesn't make for a very compelling main subject. It's easy to snap away at the sky and sun because that's what we are drawn to but they usually end up being just the documentation of another sunrise. This is the reason for so many negative comments about sunrise photos and the attitude that "anyone can take them".
I've used the "cake and frosting" metaphor when teaching how to shoot these gems. The sun should be considered more like frosting on a cake. Plain frosting is really sweet just like the sun and the pretty sky colors, but it gets overwhelming really fast and most of us can't eat much. Plain cake is just fine by itself but combine frosting and you have something special.
It's usually easier to get a compelling image if something else is the main subject other than the sun. This other subject is your "cake" and it should be compelling even without the sun or colorful sky. Then you can include the sun/sky to shine down and blanket your main subject, becoming the frosting of the composition. Using this thought process, you can usually come up with images that are a step above ordinary.
This isn't always the best way to shoot sunrises and sunsets, but it does get us away from "shotgun" photography a bit...center then sun in the crosshairs and pull the trigger. And just like the rule of thirds, it's not best for every image but it can get you thinking about the composition.
My two cents.
Jeff
