Always aware

My images today I choose due to the nature of what they are and how a person can capture them. I have learned over the years that if you want to photograph something that you particularly like then you had better be watching and ready for it since the opportunity comes only once in a while. These two images for instance were taken up Hobble Creek canyon at an activity that was being held in doors on a somewhat cold evening. I kept a close watch though through the west facing windows and was not disappointed when the sunset I thought might happen did. 

I remember one summer evening when I was still of high school age first understanding the changing nature of a sunset. I took a roll of film and my camera and went to the west side of the bench where I grew up and photographed the sunset taking pictures every few minutes as the sun slowly descending changed the colors of the clouds from which it was being reflected. I had never realized prior to that time that a sunset could be so different from beginning to end. It was such a revelation to me so that now I don't just go take a picture of a pretty sunset, I sit and watch it taking several pictures as the sun slowly descends. In the two images today just look closely at the differences between the two. I really liked in the bottom image how the light reflected from the clouds and then the snow on the west side of the mountains lit the east side of the mountains where normally I would have expected the land to be dark like it is in the top image.

Always be aware of the time of day and the changes that can occur because that is when you will most likely not just get one great shot but possibly several.