March 26, 2008

Excellent performance by the sun with minimal assistance from the clouds.

Sunset

As I've watched 100 sunsets from my perch in Brooklyn Heights, I'd formed the theory that the best sunsets come from lots of complicated clouds. Today's sunset was an exception.

25 comments:

rhhardin said...

First flower in Central Ohio, Coltsfoot. Five days later than last year.

Walking west back to grocery-laden parked bike. Notice the sunset-like effect.

Peter V. Bella said...

Coffee table book. Get with it.

Unknown said...

I just love watching your progress as a photographer. This shot has great color appeal ... but your composition needs some attention.

The bottom third of this photo should probably have been cropped out when you took it, with more sky at the top.

Keep 'em comin though. Excellent.

Oh, and if you are going to do a coffee table book, make sure it has legs and a cupholder! If it does, you get to go on Regis!

Peter V. Bella said...

YOU LOOKIN AT ME

Peter V. Bella said...

Sorry, the above was posted on the wrong thread. Should have been on the doggies thread. My apologies.

MadisonMan said...

If there are plenty of pollutants (toxins!) in the air, clouds are unnecessary to yield vivid color.

Of course, now you need some trained leeches to get those toxins out of your bloodstream.

spudchuker said...

MM is partially correct, sunset color is due to particulates in air not evil vapors and fumes. I live in Boise and we have unfortunate magnificent sunsets when there are huge forest fires.

Reliapundit said...

with the naked eye, the Sun is always less interesting to look at than what it illuminates.

like so much else.

including clouds.

some clouds appear plainer than they are.

like so much else.

Brent said...

Winner: Best title for a blog post.

Bob said...

Rather Turner-esque sunset you have there. Someone mentioned pollution, I wonder how much of Turner's mucky paintings came from the coal smut in the air at that time period?

MadisonMan said...

The sun is setting on Chikezie on AI!

MadisonMan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KCFleming said...

It was indeed a beautiful performance.
The dismount could use some work, however.

Anonymous said...

Here's a basic primer on sunsets from middle tennessee. And without using tax dollars, you all might be happy to have an activity for your children at the end.

http://www.astrosociety.org/pubs/mercury/9701/white.html

Ron said...

See that one cloud? Yes, the one on the left...You'd give him a best supporting nod, wouldn't you?

Hellya!

ricpic said...

Ferry me home to the other shore
Ferry me home cross Jordan
Ferry me home to the other side
For this weary weight to down.

ricpic said...

Ferry me home to the other shore
Ferry me home cross Jordan
Ferry me home to the other side
For this heavy weight to down.

hdhouse said...

Hello Ann, been traveling and haven't been here much to cause trouble. Did you manage to catch the sunset behind the torch of the Statue of Liberty like you did 6 months or so ago?

hdhouse said...

Middle Class Guy said...
Coffee table book. Get with it.


YES ANN. As discussed.

amba said...

That's not minimal assistance, it's just subtle. Like the late great Oscar Peterson backing Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge on "The Heat's On" -- so self-effacing.

rhhardin said...

I hope it's not being a spoilsport to say that the sunsets are unremarkable. Maybe it's from seeing lots of them. It's a matter of getting away from trees, mostly, and then sunsets turn up all the time.

That's not to say that a study of sunsets doesn't make sense ; I mean look at me doing Dobermans. It happens to be interesting to me.

But it ain't coffeetable book.

So if you have a balcony overlooking a sunset why not photograph it when it turns up. It's what cameras are for.

Ann Althouse said...

I do intend to make some themed photo books to sell through this blog, but "sunsets" won't be one of the themes.

Trooper York said...

Stick with dead birds and dogs urinating. Sunsets are such a cliché.

DudleyDoRight said...

Ann,

This is, indeed, a stunning photograph. However, it is beautiful specifically with the assistance of the clouds. The patterns which are modifying the sunlight are extremely complex. Note the vertical bands just above the sun. Note the numerous unusual "swirls" which, I think, mimic the best of low-angle-illuminated contrails.

There is much going on atmospherically in these cloud formations.

As to cropping out the bottom third, part of the visual effect of the whole frame is the (also) extremely complex current pattern in the foreground.

And, actually, there need be no pollutants for good sunsets. Look up (John) "Tyndall's Principle", which I discovered in High School.
Why does exhaled cigarette smoke look different from the smoke rising from that same cigarette? Ask Tyndall. Well...if you could.)

Great Photo

Michael Bixby Dudley
I'm Googleable(TM)

Ann Althouse said...

Thanks, Dudley. Of course, I agree about not cropping the foreground. If you click to the larger size, it's easier to see that the action in the foreground is a counterweight to the what's happening in the sky.