Position of the sun in the sky - lighting?

Hi

Ok - painting a colourful sky with the ruins taking up the majority of the painting want the sun facing the doors of the ruin so their are no casting shadows they are behind the building so you cant see them

I am trawling for really good images of the sky (clouds) but all the pic i keep seeing are of the sun in the pic. I am trying to ascertain what the clouds would look like if the sun was directly above or behind the photographer looking at a ruined door

I'm painting a colourful sky but trying to get the light in the right position is hell as it sets the lighting on the rest of the painting. Where would the highlights be on the clouds? closest to you? top of the clouds? under side of the clouds which one? You all study lighting etc so i thought I would ask you before i go spare
Thanks
Deanne

It varies depending on the height and position of the sun in relation to the clouds, which is of course determined by the time of day in which part of the world you happen to be in. Normally in the UK the best light is the first couple of hours in the morning or the last couple of hours in the evening. I always try to have the sun or best light coming in from behind over my left shoulder, unless of course I'm shooting sunsets or back lit subjects. There is no specific best position, it's determined by the subject at that particular time, very often you have to wait quite a while before the subject is lit just the way you want it. I spend a lot of time just visualising how a particular scene or landscape might look in the correct lighting, sometimes it could be months or years before I get the shot I am pleased with. That doesn't last too long though, I soon begin to think I could do better and start planning the shot all over again.

nirofo.