Last November I took a trip to some falls only to find the water too high to get the photos I was planning to. So not to waste the long drive out there I tried something different. I posted this thread back then about it.
Since I couldn't get to the spots I wanted I decided to head home before sunset. While on the drive home I was watching one of the most incredible sunsets I've seen developing in front of me. It was bitter sweet for me as I was driving along a stretch of highway that doesn't really have any great views or areas where you can see the horizon. The sunset just kept getting increasingly amazing and I was frantically scanning the landscape looking for anything I could use in my composition. Finally I couldn't take it any more and pulled over when I spotted this little channel of water (Photos 1&2). I decided to take some panoramic images with my 70-200 lens as the foreground wasn't interesting enough to include. I set up in time to capture the first image. As you can see the sunset was intense. Through my lens it looked like a wall of fire rolling in. Quite incredible.
A few moments later is when the sky went, what I like to call, nuclear! For the second photo I zoomed in to focus on the vivid purples and oranges. I have chased and captured many a sunset but colour like this happens rarely.
After the explosion I drove a little further down the highway and had to stop again when I spotted the curving creek in photo 3. Even though the most intense colour and light had passed the sunset was still delivering.
So for what felt like a disappointing drive ended up being great. I came away with completely different images than I was planning on.
Hope you enjoy!
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Click photos to view on black (highly recommended).
I like the titles used here. Nuclear! The Explosion is my favorite one. I think it ties together all of the important elements in the most cohesive way. The color is there, the foreground water is placed well, and the silhouetted trees add a lot to the scene. Really nice, Scott.
very cool colors. It's something to be out during one of those sunsets. Usually I'm at Walmart or something.
I like the stream as an added foreground element.
Great story and quick thinking to get the shot. Impressive skies and the foreground is not bad either. I have a hard time picking a favorite. Each image has something going for it. Awesome work
Harsha
Man... what crazy color in the sky! I can feel for you, I think we all one time or another have been stuck on a road to nowhere when sunrise or sunset colors have hit and there is just no good compositions are around and we drive frantically looking around each next bend or hill trying to spot something that we can use to work with the that great color. I think you did good with what you found. All 3 of these are sweet images.
Gorgeous images Scott. I think that nuclear sky and little stream saved the day for you!
I love the tiger stripes in #1, I have never seen this before.
Is this another from the archives?
Somehow w/o a camera you seem to be diggin up gems.
Love all three & each is unique enough to stand on it's own.
I so want to drive up through Canada again. My Alaskan drive whet my appetite for this
