Sunsets & Low-Sun Cloudscape Gallery
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Sunset, and her counterpart, the Sunrise, are truly magical events which occur on a daily basis all over the world. No two Sunsets are exactly alike due to a delicate marriage between the height of the Sun itself and the clouds and atmospheric conditions which accompany it at any given time. Atmospheric optical effects such as light scattering, extinction, water droplet and dust content, all play an important role in producing a particular kind of effect. An assortment of the correct species of clouds can also bring a Sunset to life, especially the mid level and high level clouds which are the biggest producers of colour and optical phenomena such as halos and sundogs. Sunsets will vary, from the 'normal' to the sublime, if just a few of these conditions occur at once. With a basic knowledge of the sky and clouds one can 'forecast' which days might produce something special, although admittedly this more art than science. For me it's the unpredictable nature of this always welcome transient event which lures me out. The cloud structures with glorious colours, combined with the majestic sight of the Sun's large disk itself, looming low over the land, which really feels special and peaceful to me. The Sunset scene itself varies by the second as the Sun gradually lowers in height creating knew scenic opportunities for the vigilant observer.
As a photographer I find Sunsets to be both rewarding and challenging in equal measure. Getting your focus, shutter speed, aperture setting, and white balance all selected in real time as you adapt to the dynamic scene really forces you to become one with the subject and absorb every fine detail that nature has to offer. It's at moments like these that time seems to stand still as the observer and sky become a single, always spiritual entity. The sunset is awe inspiring and connects us with or ancestors who's very survival depended upon observing the sky for signs of change. With this gallery I would like to share with you some of my own images, a few of these were caught by chance, however the majority required hours of watching and waiting at all hours of the evening surrounded mother nature herself. This gallery is a digital record of those memorable and rewarding hours spent watching our nearest Sun paint her own art work across the canvas of Earth's atmosphere. Thanks for viewing...Martin McKenna.
