Look the other way

Sunsets are lovely. Sometimes they are spectacular! I don’t often take sunset photos, though I have watched many sunsets from inconvenient places – that is, I was driving, or indoors or not otherwise near a photogenic location. And once the sun starts to set, the whole show is over in minutes, so at that point there’s no time to find a good viewing spot.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. Often the sky is more colourful after the sun has set. And there are days I’ve driven, um, quickly, to a higher location so I can catch some of that golden light.

When it comes to sunsets, here’s one thing I’ve learned: the best photos are often behind you. So whenever you stop to enjoy a sunset, don’t forget to look in the opposite direction. The photos here were taken just as the sun was setting, and though I did get a few sunset shots, I thought the view looking east was much more interesting.

In the photo at the top and to the left, you can see the warm light just touching the houses as the sun sets. As I was photographing, I watched the light change from intense gold to a more subdued pinky-orange as it crept from the ground floor up to the roof. It didn’t take long for the lovely golden light to dissipate, but I kept taking finding new scenes to capture.

The image below was taken a few minutes later. The sun is gone but the glow remains, and the light is still sublime. I would have missed these photos if I hadn’t turned from watching the sunset to look the other way.