Essences of sunset

Not long ago, I made some photographs that surprised and delighted me. What I appreciated wasn’t so much the end result as the experience of being at the place and noticing all that occurred from moment to moment.

Walking alongside the creek to the coastline, noticing the evening light changing over the Pacific Ocean, I listened to the gentle slap of little waves against the rocky cove in front of me, the tops of a kelp forest rising and falling with the ocean tide.

I pause to consider what to photograph and where to stand. The light seemed to be developing nicely. The tides were calming, and while the rocky coast is stunning to observe, the camera stayed in the bag.

Making my way along the bluffs above the tideline I notice the changing light dancing in the ocean below. The undulation of the tide and the falling sunlight danced, disappeared, reemerging, dancing a bit more, fading again. Each incoming wave reflected uniquely each passing cloud and the evolving sunlight. The colors of the setting sun evolved, reflecting against the warmly glowing cliffs into the waters below.

This seemed to be the subject I was waiting for. I continued along the bluffs looking for a safe location to meander about until I found a good vantage point. Selecting a long lens, I waited for the sun.

For the next 45 mins the interplay of sunlight reflected off the cliffs and into the ocean waves captured my attention as I attempted to capture photo after photo.

Sometimes the bobbing kelp got in the way of a photo. Sometimes the foam of the waves didn’t look quite right. Sometimes the photos captured just the right moment, with just the right light. Tounges of sunfire lapping curling turquoise waters, ripples framing luminous clouds, all flickering, melting, fading away.

That evening stays with me.

Every time I see the photos from that evening I remember the sweet salty spray in the air, the warm light, the cool air, and the sense of connected resonance with the place and the elements of the natural world, the grand sweeping landscape now intimate and personal. It was perfect and the photos seemed to come easy after a while. Aligning the mixture of sunlight and ocean waves, I aligned beauty, machine, and myself.

These are the moments that I live for, the moments that drive me forward creatively, the moments that remind me why I love photography.

Below are a few samples from that evening:

Do let me know what you think in the comments.