Always Take the Sunrise Side of the Valley

A scheduling rule that has produced more usable frames than any equipment decision.

Position so that the first light lands on the opposite slope, not on you. You want to be in shadow, looking at a lit face. It gives you an hour of clean directional light on the subject and keeps flare out of the front element.

It also means that as the sun rises, your working area expands rather than blows out. The reverse arrangement gives you fifteen good minutes and then a fight.