Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Postcard from Southern Arizona

sunset-1

Sunrises and sunsets are a photographer’s bread and butter. We mostly concentrate on the quality of that more gentle red-shifted light on particular subjects. But, occasionally, we focus on the sunrise/sunset itself, as I did in this photo.

Sunsets are usually better than sunrise, because the ground has heated up during the day and there are more airborne particles in the air to help bring out more color. Such was the case for this photo.

The sun is actually in a different location than where I pointed my camera for this shot. The photo was taken at what we sometimes call “second sunset”…when the sun is below the horizon, but its red light affects cloud formations in all directions. The foreground, while not very spectacular, gives the viewer a point of reference. Remember, if you shoot sunset or sunrise photos, always give the sky either 1/3 or 2/3 of the image…never 1/2. Decide what is more interesting, the ground or the sky…then make your decision.

I took this image about 2 years ago in the Coronado National Forest, in the Mt. Wrightson Wilderness Area, about 40 miles due south of Tucson. I camped out there for a couple of nights and was rewarded with a spectacular evening light show. We do have some spectacular sunsets here in the Southwest. 

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