This picture violates one of my rules for sunset photography, but I decided to post it anyway. My rule? Even though most of my landscape photos are taken at sunset, I try to avoid photos that are just about the sunset. I try to approach sunset (or sunrise) as a time for photography rather than the subject. But this glowing cloud was so extraordinary that I couldn’t resist. Believe it or not, this is really what it looked like. In fact, I had to cut back a little on the intensity of the orange cloud so that it would retain the details in its texture.
One of the best ways to avoid “just another sunset” photo is to include interesting and recognizable foreground elements. In fact, I normally include a scenic foreground that would be an interesting photo even without a sunset behind it. That way, the subject of the photo is the landscape, not the sunset. The colors in the sky then become the added spice rather than the main course.
This photo was taken right outside of our apartment. I couldn’t help but notice the sunset as I was walking back from the mailbox, so I quickly grabbed my camera. There wasn’t a foreground element per se, but I really liked the undulating shape of the hills at the bottom of the frame. That and the trees on the left create nice framing elements and give the photo an abstract feel. I see the photo as being about the colors, textures and shapes and not just a sunset.
