ZA2009

On our first day at Addo Elephant National Park (2009-07-07), we saw this sunset when we departed the park at closing time. Here are some reasons why I find this image aesthetically interesting:

* Color: Blue, orange, red, pink, and black provide dramatic and bright contrasts.

* Composition: The symmetry of the brush and the barely-visible subtle foreground road draw the eye to the bright orange near the setting sun. The less-interesting dark colors are confined to the lower third of the photo, providing another reason for the eye to travel to the sky.

* A Moment: Fiery sunset and sunrise colors don't wait for you. The come and go quickly. I took another photo only a couple minutes before this one. The earlier photo, while interesting on its own, lacks the dramatic red and pink cloud colors that make this shot so stunning. I had to pull over to the left side of the exit road, turn the kombi slightly left, and lean out the window to capture this image.

* Camera: Although I love my Nikon D50 digital SLR camera (and I used it for the earlier sunset photo on the same evening), I had packed my D50 away after the earlier shot, thinking that we were done. But, the colors kept improving, and I prevailed upon the passengers (Cynthia, Tracy, Mark, and Catherine) to let me pull over one more time before we left the park. This image was taken with Tracy's pocket camera (a Canon SD880) that was still available (because it is smaller). They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and on this occasion, the SD880 was good enough to capture this dramatic scene.