The position and height of the sun makes a dramatic difference to the quality of your shots. If the sun is behind a landmark it will plunge it into silhouette. When the sun is behind you, the subject will be bathed with a flat wash of light, causing the photo to lack contrast. However, if the sun illuminates a location from an angle, and when the sun is lower in the sky such as towards sunset, then the mix of shadows and highlights helps bring out the shapes and forms of buildings and landscapes.
Thanks to The Photographer’s Ephemeris, you can plan your shoots to ensure that any scene is lit from the most flattering angle. The app can show you any point on a map where the sun (or moon) will be at any time. You can also recce a location using the app’s augmented reality mode. This combines the video feed of your device’s camera with a preview of how the position of the shadows will change in that location.