The Other Sunset

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Looking east and you can see the other sunset.

[Shadowman]

If you crop out most of the upper sky gives the image a bended light look. Nicely conceived.

[mknittle]

Nice capture Jack. I like the color in the clouds.

[Manfred M]

I enjoy shooting at sunset and doing very much what you are doing here Jack, pointing the camera at places illuminated by the setting sun, rather than pointing into it. As you show here, the light is amazing and wonderful to work with!

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John, thanks. I hear ya. But to me I really like the high sky. Which is why I've limited the water/foreground, the sky is the point.

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Thanks Mark. The colors are so subdued relative to the western sky, very pastel and muted. As opposed to a screamingly loud sunset.

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Thanks Manfred, not surprised that you *get it*. To me the eastern sky is an equal and relevant counterpoint to a sunset. This particular one kind of blew me away and no matter how I've tried I can not get this image to equal the actual sky. I guess that means i have to shoot more eastern sky sunsets this year. I'm also thinking of printing this one large and on canvas.

[IzzieK]

Beautiful scene, Jack...is this from your front yard or backyard?

[Tony Britton]

Supremely artistic. Congratulations on this lovely photograph.

Tony

[NorthernFocus]

Back to sunrise/sunset is one of the most frequently missed opportunities. Nicely done.

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Izzie, I suppose technically this would be my front yard but the house isn't on the water so I have to walk out to the harbor, sometimes it takes as long as 45 seconds. My backyard is the ocean, that's further away, maybe a 4 minute walk.

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Thank you very much Tony.

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Thanks Dan. Sunsets (I've only heard rumors about the so-called sunrise?) can be so mesmerizing, even well after the sun has gone down that, by the time you think to turn around it's too late. This one it just happened to be that I happened to turn around, to my surprise the sky was as amazing as what I had just been watching. Just perhaps, a bit more subtle.

[Manfred M]

Izzie, I suppose technically this would be my front yard but the house isn't on the water so I have to walk out to the harbor, sometimes it takes as long as 45 seconds. My backyard is the ocean, that's further away, maybe a 4 minute walk.

That certainly gives you a distinct advantage over me! There are lots of small lakes and large rivers I can get to in a reasonable amount of time, but they don't give you the sprawling, open vista that you show in this shot. I can get down to Lake Ontario in about two hours to get to an open view like this, but getting to the ocean, that is definitely more than a day trip!

Regardless, you make a very good point. Pointing your camera in the opposite direction of what "most people" would do can get you some great images. Back lighting or side lighting during sunsets are definitely something I tend to do as the dynamic range of the scene is much better and you still get all of the beautiful mixed lighting you show in your shot without having to jump through hoops where the sun blows out.

I've also found that shooting into the direction of the sunset, with the sun below the horizon (i.e. the beginning of blue hour) can result in some very beautiful shots too. By that time most of the sunset photographers have picked up their gear and headed home. Similar things can be said about shooting sunrise as well, but then I'm not really a morning person and at this time of year sunrise starts to get to be too early for me to bother with it.

[ionian]

Following up on Manfred's point, "second sunset" occurs about 20 minutes after the sun has set. The sky will go dull for 5-10 minutes and then often spring back into life. Don't be the photographer that sees it through the windshield of your car, stay out there!

I agree that fantastic skies can be had in all directions but I'd urge people to get the sunset shots as well. The trick is not to focus on one area of the sky, but always be looking all around for the best light and shot. It changes minute by minute at this time of day. The advantage is you don't come home with 80 frames of almost the exact same image. Move around, keep your head up and just use the camera to frame the picture your eyes see.

Finally, just wanted to say what a beautiful sky that Jack has caught here. It's a very peaceful picture.

[bnnrcn]

Beautiful colors Jack

[DanK]

A really gorgeous shot. This will inspire me to try more like this. Like you, if I want the ocean, I can't shoot into the sunset without traveling almost 3000 miles, but I can get an east-facing view about 30 or 40 minutes from home.

I agree with you that the action is in the sky, but I still think a modest crop helps, because the uppermost part of the sky doesn't have as much of interest. I don't know if you allow editing of your images, so I won't post what I did, but I cut away about the top 1/8, and I think it looks more balanced.

[flashback]

Manfred, so the take away point here is...do what everybody else doesn't do. Or maybe more simply, look the other way.
I have in the past checked the eastern sky while watching a sunset and it always seemed to be blase. This particular time the eastern sky just seemed amazing. Clearly it was a combination of atmospheric events and timing. And yes, having a distant enough horizon does work in one's favor.
Regarding the blue hour, I'm going to have to go back and look at my sunset folder and see how late some of my shots were but, I'm suspecting I called it quits somewhere between the sun disappearing and the mosquitoes appearing.

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Simon, thank you. You and Manfred have pointed out this after-sunset-sunset so it's something I'm going to have to keep an eye on.

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Thank you Binnur.