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Saguaro Sunrise
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: SC Davidson (azleader)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 159 W: 0 N: 284]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (793) |
| Genre: Places |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2005-03-18 |
| Camera: Sony DSC F-717 |
| Exposure: f/6.3, 1/60 seconds |
| Details: Tripod: Yes |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2008-03-21 12:27 |
| Viewed: 742 |
| Favorites: 2 [view] |
| Points: 14 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Sunrise/Sunset Photography
One of the great genres of landscape photography is sunsets and sunrises.
No matter where you are in the world there are great sunsets and great sunrises. Early morning and late afternoon and evening have always provided the best lighting that exists for landscape photography. You need to be there to record it.
Arizona Sunrise
It strikes me that I have not shared a desert sunrise or sunset from southern Arizona at TrekEarth. That is just plain wrong. This is my attempt to start to make up for that.
Saguaro cactus are rightfully known as silent sentinels, like the one in this picture. They live upwards of 200 years and stand above the surrounding Sonoran desert as one of the great symbols of Arizona known all over the world.
A tip for taking sunrise/sunset pictures - Be Prepared!
The most important thing to understand about sunsets and sunrises is that they are like living organisms that can change dramatically in seconds.
Here is the story of this picture...
A friend from Wisconsin came to visit Phoenix, Arizona USA in springtime. It was during the height of the desert wildflower season and he wanted to photograph wildflowers at Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona. That is a long way from Phoenix. He also wanted to photograph a desert sunrise.
So three of us left Phoenix just after 3:00am to make the long drive to Tucson so we could be there at sunrise. The skies were totally overcast thoughout the entire drive. Prospects for a good sunrise were bleak at best. There was not a single break in the clouds, especially toward where the sun would rise. I just knew that going so early was a total waste of time, that it would be cloudy and that the sunrise would suck. I reviewed in my mind how I would explain it to my friend who had traveled so far.
We arrived at the National Park visitor center hours before it would open. No one was there. The place was all locked up.
We gathered our photography equipment and walked down a a dry wash(a low, sandy, dry creek bed) seeking out a good location to take sunrise pictures.
I selected this spot and set up my camera and tripod while my friends walked further down the wash in search of the 'perfect' photograph. The instant I had my camera ready and set to go there was this most incredible transformation in the sky thorough a single break in the clouds that had just risen above the horizon. I instinctively snapped this and a few other pictures.
The moment lasted maybe 45 seconds, then all the great color was gone. My friends were late setting up their cameras; by the time they got their cameras set on tripods and took pictures the moment had passed.
The lesson
Sunrises and sunsets are like living organisms that can grow, change and die in minutes or seconds.
With certainty you can NEVER predict if and when a sunrise/sunset will be good or be bad. It is a matter of chance. As a photographer, you just need to be there when it happens in order to take it's picture.
You will be disappointed much more often than not. But those few times you get a good picture more than makes up for all the disappointments. |
mossphoto, Floydian, jonathan_hart, fulvio52, linask has marked this note useful
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As a Tucson native, I knew right away that this was a Tucson sunset. I have called Denver home for many years now, and love to see AZ on TE.
So many times in TE, a sunset is posted, and nothing worth reading is included in the note. You have provided a good lesson in shooting sunsets and sunrises: by prepared!
~Vic~
indeed, you can never predict, & the show can be anywhere, like my first post on TE, i didn't expect the sunset will become so intense, the light outside called me...
this one is worth to be seen, TFS, interesting foreground silhouettes, and the amazing sky of course is a piece of art from mother nature
regards
jo
- Paul57
(1277)
- [2008-03-21 16:04]
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Hi Steve,
What a beautiful sunset. I've just added it among my favorites. I've been to Arizona in 2005 but never saw such a sunset.
I've also had a quick look at your other pictures and they're all amazingly beautiful.
TFS
Paul
Hi Steve,
2 years a go i was there, did not see a great sunset as you present us here. The sky is really stunning in every way. The Saguaro makes a perfect silhoutte against that impressive sky....i like it.
Regards, Henk
Hi Steve,
this could only be a Sonora desert sunset, no mistake possible, and what an astonishing one!
Perfect positioning of that giant saguaro against the skies, great framing, mind-blowing colors!
Your note? Worth a few extra smileys, as usual.
Happy Easter, see ya soon.
Fulvio.
Hi Steve !
Wonderful backlight and fascinating colours.
Your long trip to Tucson has been well awarded.
Ciao
Steve, great shot, fantastic sky detail and fantastically hard contrast, great capture.
Greg
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2366 W: 408 N: 3447]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
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