
The Setting: Monday night Sunset, August 29, 2011....Easton, PA....
So, there I was, "running" down the street to the nearest spot that was "open" enough to get at least a fraction of a view of this dynamic sunset. This quickly became a comic opera, because, with my lousy knees, my "run" basically resembles that of Chester in Gunsmoke, or - for those of you who are wondering who the hell Chester is - a giraffe with two sprained ankles.
Somehow, I got to the spot and managed to capture a few frames. The air was still and the night was silent , save the sound of a screaming brat in the condo behind me as it pierced the silence like fingernails on a blackboard. But I really didn't notice...it just makes a cool comic relief.
Final Take: One nice thing about Olympus (in my opinion) is that their jpeg color is phenomenal...perfect really! This is JPEG, not RAW. The color you see is the color I saw. Period!... No further adjustments were needed.
I hope you enjoyed this... I didn't even need a street light!
** Staples Singers - "Respect Yourself"
- " We do not move forward from a middle opinion, which is undemocratic but mediocratic.
We advance from a creative passion "- (Edgar Morin)
- "To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at
that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy."
- Henri Cartier-Bresson.
::Words from Denny:
- My beliefs, and values, have always been strongly tied-to music, especially Jazz, and Blues.
- The following artists and lyrics seem to "sum-up" where my spirit resides:
EARTH WIND AND FIRE;
"HOLD ON TO YOUR SPIRIT,
ALWAYS FEEL YOUR SOUL....
HONOR THE MAGIC IN YOUR HEART"; Earth Wind and Fire
Wow, it was worth the effort ( but I did laugh at the discription of you running) a magnifecent sunset
1 Sep 2011 6:43am
@Christine: Well, as you know, I like to tell a story. and sometimes I take "literary license: with my tales...but I had to hussle to get this sht but it was a beautiful sight to behold,...I must say. Thank you so much, Christine - I absolutely love your image today!! Great piece!
@Victoria - Foto: Hi Victoria - Thank you so very much ;-)
@Nigel: Hi Nigel - Thank yuo so much.. I erally loved your image today - just a wonderful image in every way!
Glorious fire in the sky . . looks like y'can reach up and stir it with a paddle ! Nice one.
1 Sep 2011 7:43am
@Ronnie 2¢: Thanks very much, Ronnie2...I was loving this in person...;-)
excellent capture of the evening skies ...lovely colors too....i liked the lines that u added to this image ...
1 Sep 2011 11:42am
@dr pankaj shukla: Thank you very much for visiting my blog and for your very kind comments, Doctor ;-)
@CElliottUK: Thank you very much, Chris ;-)
Absolutely glorious Denny! I happen to be of the vintage that can remember when Gunsmoke was on the air and your visual of Chester running still brings a sardonic smile to my face! Thank you for both visuals! ;-)))
1 Sep 2011 12:06pm
@Eric Cousineau: Yes, for some of us, I probably could have even used a reference to Hopalong Cassidy...Thanks Eric ;-)
beautiful electric colour. Goddess in her heaven :)
1 Sep 2011 12:09pm
@grouser: I believe you have the goddesses today...but thank you anyway ;-)
Ha! Your commentary is as good as your photo, Denny - and it is a super shot!
1 Sep 2011 1:07pm
@Stephen: Thank you Stephen ;-) It was fun and beautiful....
Gorgeous - I love transition from the blues and grays to the oranges and yellow. Sounds like you really worked for this shot!
1 Sep 2011 1:08pm
@Jason Politte: Hi Jason - Well, you know how I like to "embellish" my stories ;-) But I did have to move along lest I lose this shot!! Thanks very much!
Denny your efforts to get this shot more than paid off. Beautiful!
1 Sep 2011 1:43pm
@Williams: Hi Paul - Thanks so much - it was definitely worth it...Thanks again!
I'm chuckling at your description, but can visualize your 'gait' as you rushed to capture this painting in the sky, that only God could create! The graduation of colors from navy blue (top left) to spun GOLD is exquisite. I hope you took your time getting back home. ;D
PS: New from the Passaic River in NJ is terrible (in VT also); are you seeing high water in your area?
1 Sep 2011 2:06pm
@Judy aka L@dybug: Hi Judy - Thank yu so much...this was eally awesome...Yes the Delaware is still really high but contained..the Creek by us is high but contained..But I know the Passaic is in awful shape and our daughter in Vermont is OK but lots of folks are not..entire towns are stranded, or just plain gone....To all the folks who poo poo'd this storm, they better not say that in front of these people!!
@Landy: Hi Landy - Thank you very much ;-)
Wonderful colors, Denny. And they don't last for long. Great timing and great image.
1 Sep 2011 4:15pm
@Francisco Romero: Thank you very much, Francisco...you are so right...they are "here" and then they are "gone" ;-)
Ooh la la!! Dynamic is right. Beautiful shot, well worth hobbling down the street for.....oh, I shouldn't laugh at your troubles, but you make it sound so amusing. Delightful viewing and reading !! :-)
1 Sep 2011 4:18pm
@DULCIE: It's ok to laugh - I am a comedian at heart, If I can make someone laugh my day is complete! Thanks Dulcie!!
Amazing sky, well worth the effort of your shuffle/ run..........
1 Sep 2011 5:17pm
@The Mouse: Thank you sir! "Shuffle Run"...- I like that ;-)
Oh, that is truly amazing. The colours are just great. Wow.
1 Sep 2011 5:56pm
@ursulakatariina: Hi Ursula Katrina - Thank you very much. I enjoyed checking through your portfolio of images..I love the little furry coot too ... Thanks again ;-)!
Wow, Mr J, great sky, great shot! You're right, very up against it as I have to finish several things as we are away on Sunday for a fab week of food, drink, photography and friends.
1 Sep 2011 6:49pm
@Richard: Food, Photography and friends (have to pass on the drink ;-)? Sounds spectacular...I could say I hate you but you know that would be a lie ;-) Honeyboy Edwards died the other day - raise a toast to him....Have fun sir, and thanks for checking in - all the best ;-)
Definitely worth the “run” as this is a one great shot!
1 Sep 2011 6:50pm
@Cruz: Hi Cruz - Thank you so much ;-)
Hi Denny - I just clicked back through your shots I missed. Very glad you survived the storm. Also, sorry for the loss of your friend. That was a very nice tribute.
1 Sep 2011 6:51pm
@B. Thomas: Thanks so much Barbara..you didn't need to do that - I know where you were..but it was nice of you to do so ;-) Sorry that you had to return to the heat
Wow, this is awesome, and a pretty good commercial plug for your Olympus E-510's ability to do some sky drama with perfect colors. If I were in the market for a new camera today I'd have to check this one out.
1 Sep 2011 7:18pm
@Viewfinder: Hi Glenn...Thank you so very much, A p[hotographer of your caliber that means a great deal to me honestly - so thanks again. Well, the E510 is an older puppy, an entry level dslr for sure. But it was one of their very best. And Olympus makes some very solid cameras but the knock will remain that thier image sensor, sized for their "four-thirds" system is small and they simply can NOT handle low light / high iso situations...too bad really becasue I have always maintained that their glass - I would put up against Nikkor and Canon any day of the week and twice on Sundays...The Olympus Zuiko lenses are just plain kickass lenses...but the little image sensors in the cameras just cannot compete with the "big boys" in low light high iso especially, and some other areas too...I still love the little E510 though ;-) Until I have the $$$ for something else...Thanks Glenn
Hi Denny, this shot was absolutely worth your run! Beautiful!
1 Sep 2011 7:26pm
@RBL: Hi Ruthie - Thank you so much....loved yours today ;-)
spectacular colors indeed, denny, colors one would rather expect in fall or winter! perhaps this is the (more pleasant) aftermath of "irene"?!?
1 Sep 2011 7:50pm
@franz: Hi Franz...no they are actually getting much better now that I am not carrying so much weight...getting down closer to my "fighting weight."..... I was weighing in at 205 and I am not a big guy...5'9 and shrinking...so I am getting closer to my weight range of 165 -175 ....I came home from Vietnam at 165 so I suspect around 170 will do the trick...down to 184 right now...21 lbs less then where I started ;-) taking it slow and correctly
I am laughing so hard I can barely type - about your description of running to get this shot - I know EXACTLY what you mean ... no fun getting older.
However, this shot is AMAZING !!! Absolutely stunning!! Well done!!
1 Sep 2011 8:56pm
@Scene by Sharon Photography: Hi Sharon - Thanks very much ;-)
Wow! Incredible glowing colors that you've captured here! The clouds do a nice job of creating layers of strata in the sky.
1 Sep 2011 9:50pm
@Steven: Thank yo so much, Steven!
You have the entire gamut of purple into fiery oranges and reds... just a stunner! I love your text, and the fact that you made mention of what you saw is what this is. That is always worth striving for, especially with a landscape shot.
1 Sep 2011 10:28pm
@Rick: Hi Ricl - Thank you very much - I do appreciate it! I was kind of lucky I guess but as Bill says, f8 and you can't go wrong usually! Thanks again ;-)
Gorgeous color! I have the same problem. I am not high enough anywhere to catch a beautiful sunset. This one is beautiful!
1 Sep 2011 11:02pm
@Elaine Hancock: It's frustrating isn't it? We are surrounded by 2 story condos so I really have to struggle to get out of the jungle but down the street there lies a spot..sort of..and this is it ;-)
@john4jack: Thank you Jack ;-)
Denny your effort was well rewarding with this simple composition with that dramaticallly colorful sky !
2 Sep 2011 2:02am
@Mike: HI Mike - Thank you very much sir. This really means a great deal to me.uch appreciated! All the best!
Fantastic sunset! Not for the light, but the streetlight gives balance to this amazing sunset . As the old addage goes for capturing a gorgeous scene like this, "f8 and be there"; looks like you nailed both Denny.
2 Sep 2011 4:44am
@Bill Brown: "Use f8 and you won't be late"...that's my motto ;-) Thanks Bill..have a good one!
Fires of the skies are sure the best to warm up our hearts and feel so humble & grateful to live on this planet, your image reminds me that, thanks !
2 Sep 2011 7:20am
@k@: You are so right, KLariine! Thank you very much...I love your warm smile photo today as well..He looks a lot like Dennis Qauid to me!
Wow. A magnifecent sunset. Wonderful colours and great light. Excellent shot. :)
2 Sep 2011 10:26am
@Sam: HI Sam - Thank you very much for your kind comment -much appreciated!
Wow, Denny, you have quite the following from around the world! And rightfully so, as your photos are consistently stunning. I recently tried to capture the sunset from the "Sunset Cruise" we took on the Mackinac Island trip. Nature cooperated and I got some nice photos but the sky changed so rapidly (as well as the boat moving) that it was a real challenge. Also the Canon did NOT pick up the colors that the sky offered as well as your Olympus has. My bad for the camera choice but it does very well on other things. (I have to be happy with it, as it was too expensive to replace!) There is something goofy going on with my eyes... I can see the sky moving and changing in this picture -- do you have one of those wizard cameras?! We were faithful "Gunsmoke" watchers, Marshall Dillon, Miss Kitty and Chester every Saturday night. While it is indeed a comic picture, the hobble is still pain-induced and I can't let it go with just laughing at it when I can offer a possible alternative! I read an account just yesterday of knee cartilage actually regenerating for a man who wore magnets on his knee for several weeks. X-rays confirmed regrowth; surgical replacement had been recommended but they wouldn't guarantee relief so he did not have it, however he did have x-rays that showed bone-on-bone in the joint. (The magnets used were Japanese-made Nikken mags designed for use on the body, about the size of a half-dollar, and held on by an elastic bandage.) It took 10 days for the pain to cease and he wore them for an additional 2 months. (Source is "The Emotion Code" by Dr. Bradley Nelson pp 132-133. The book is a good read for a lot of other reasons, too, btw.) Congrats on your weight loss as well - and beautiful photo!
2 Sep 2011 1:12pm
@Jerri: Hi Jerri _Wow, thanks very much for your really kind comment! It is a thrill to hear from friends here...My one sis from Sacramento area chimes in ccasionally, as does my nephew's wife Heatehr is a magnificent photag)..and, of course, it is always so fun to hear from my "brothers and sisters" here on Aminus3 which we all feel is a family. We are all so proud of each other and the work that we all do...and, as you say, there are folks on here from all over the world and it does the heart good to know that this sisterhood and brotherhood of photographers also does a lot (I think it does anyway) to bring the world together. I will check out your info for sure on the magnets...to be honest, I always sort of poo poo'd those magnet remedy things but what the heck....if it's cheap I will try it ;-) Finally, you should consider joining AM3 yourself, it is free and you do NOT have to be a pro or even amateur....all you have to do is enjoy taking shots and you can post as often (max one per day) or as little as you like...AM3 is a PHENOMENAL photoblog site as I say...Truly a family! Thanks Jerri! Watch those storms!...We are supposed to get some this weekend too...Had to chuckle at your "not a coffee on the patio day" remark :-) All the best to you both!!
@Mariana M.: Thank you Mariana 1 Yes it was quite beautiful- Iwas having a good time once I got there ;-)
J'aime bien ce ciel que je ne vois peu ces derniers temps
passe d'agréables moments et bisous
2 Sep 2011 4:10pm
@L'Angevine: Salut L'Angevine ;-) Je vous remercie beaucoup pour votre commentaire très gentil. Nous avons la chance de voir quelques beaux couchers de soleil très souvent ici
Oh, Denny. Well worth the "chestering" around to get this. Phenomenal shot, really. Love those rich colors in the sky. Maybe I need to get an Olympus?
2 Sep 2011 7:57pm
@LauraS: Thanks very much, Laura....I quite agree. Hope you have been well ;-)
That really is gorgeous color, and quite worth your run, I'm sure.
2 Sep 2011 10:12pm
@Julie L. Brown: Thanks so much Julie!!
A very beautiful sunset. I remember Chester. ;-)
3 Sep 2011 8:29pm