Sunsets

Sunsets are great and all but sometimes they get a little boring. Clouds block the sun, or there are no clouds at all. Although this is useful for other types of photography, when these two conditions occur the sunset is not going to be very dramatic. What you really need is a local cloud layer, and the sun setting where there are no clouds. For these special occasions you often have to be in the right place at the right time. I'm trying to increase my odds by following part of one simple saying. "Red sky at night, sailor's delight." What this means is that the sun is setting into an area of high pressure. Although it is not certain, this means the weather should be sunny the next day. So it makes sense that in order to get a good sunset you need to be currently under the tail end of an area of low pressure. This will yield cloudy skies above and, clear skies just over the horizon. The result will (hopefully) be the sun set producing beautiful red or orange light that hits the underside of the cloud layer lighting it up. In the optimal conditions the whole sky from horizon to horizon will glow bright with color. Now you just need that to line up with your location. The same thing can happen in the morning for sun rises. It's often hit or miss, but I'm hoping to increase the number and quality of my sunsets while maintaining an efficient work schedule by not wasting my time waiting for a sunset that will not appear. Either way, hit or miss, you will see a lot of moody skies. Here are two examples, one hit, one miss.


A Hit. Sunrise at Wrightsville Beach.

Not the color i was looking for but a nice photo.