Although the general conditions were better than the day before; i.e., not raining, I was still not seeing anything too inspiring. Not to say that the experience of being there wasn't enjoyable in itself, it certainly was, but by early afternoon the next front of unsettled weather was rolling in from the West, taking the light with it.
The same could have happened today, were it not for a very late break in the cloud just before sunset. We had decided to take an afternoon walk, no matter what the weather (it did rain for a while at one point), suggesting to each other as we walked just how good that sky would be (points with finger) if only the sun was shining onto those brooding clouds; or, composition of the landscape itself if only we had the right light.
If only. That late in the day you have two options: either give up and go home, or sit it out until you know the sun has set in the hope you might get a bit of drama. Either way, it won't take long. Occasionally, adopting the latter approach pays handsome dividends, and it is just as this decision was being made that the sky lightened to the south west. Experience told me to hang on to see what would develop... and it paid-off. For around twenty minutes the late afternoon sky began, at first, to glow; reveal clear patches of blue; and finally produce as much dramatic light as the outdoor photographer could wish for.
I started to work as quickly as I could, attempting to take advantage of the glory that nature was throwing at us. I'm so engrossed in what I'm doing that I fail to hear Nic calling me from a distance to get me to climb higher on the hill to see what she sees, but I don't hear he at all. It was all over as quickly as it began, but not before I managed to catch the essence of the winter sunset. Beautiful.
24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/320 second at f/8. +1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400. Monopod.
© 2012
2 comments:
I'm not going to forget that sky in a hurry. Beautiful indeed. :)
Nor shall I, Nic. Nor shall I. :-)
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