Sunset Flair
I have been a witness to some incredible sunsets over the past two years, but the past six weeks has exceeded all my expectations. Winter photography in the Bahamas is special. The cold fronts produce an interesting sky and good lighting on a regular interval, a photographer just needs to wait them out, soaking in the sun and waters of the Caribbean in between.
Clearly the beauty that exists in a sunset draws us to that moment, it seems to me there is more to it though. Maybe it is the finality, this sometimes dramatic moment that brings our lives in the light of day to a close. It is the end of something, like with the human condition, everything comes to an end. We even use the phrase, the sunset of our lives.
I have been present to and photographed some amazing sunsets in places with natural beauty beyond my capability as a writer to describe. Each one is a treasure to me. Sometimes I just leave the camera in my bag and just try to enjoy. Other times I am as giddy as school kid trying to get shots setup, racing against the clock, like kids playing playing kickball at recess, with only a finite window of time. In that moment, the way I experience it through the camera lens enhances the experience.
Not every sunset is created equal though. From a photography perspective, it is like pieces of flair, you need the minimum number of pieces to make it interesting to the eye. We don’t need 37 pieces of flair like Brian but we need more than the minimum if we want to fully express ourselves, Joanna... Adding interesting elements, such as clouds, water, trees, boats or mountains, can make the ordinary, extraordinary.
Just as the sun sets every day, every adventure must come to an end. As I travel back to the states, there is that feeling of conclusion and finality that only happens when you enjoy a thing and will miss its unique qualities. Like a great sunset, you can never experience it exactly the same again, the best ones are one of kind fleeting moments, the best I can do is try to capture it in a photograph. Inferiorly preserving what it was forever.
Caribbean sunsets have an extra piece of flair, there is a green flash that occurs right as the sun dips below the blue of the water. I recently saw it for the first time. Fascinating! A spectacular moment I will hold onto for the rest of my sunsets on this earth.
Hope you enjoy this collection of sunset photographs from the last six weeks. I certainty enjoyed the experience shooting them. Now I will wait patiently for the next great sunset to shoot.
“We need to talk about your flair.” Stan – Office Space
