Tuesday, 21 December 2010

Winter Sunset

A snowy winter landscape is mostly monochrome. There is little colour, often no more than the subtle patterning in the rocks or the dull dark green of conifers. At a distance trees and boulders look black, etched against the pale snow. When the sun shines the blue sky adds a wash of cold colour above the cold whiteness. Twice a day though there is the possibility of brilliant red and vivid orange searing across the sky and suffusing the landscape with warm colour. At dawn and dusk the rising and setting sun can light the clouds and cast a purple tinge over the white mountains. That has been the case several times in the last few weeks and many dull, cloudy days have ended in a blaze of hot colour belying the freezing temperatures. Such sunsets and sunrises occur when there is no snow of course but the cold and the snow makes them seem more intense and powerful.

Photo Info: Dusk over Bynack More. Canon EOS 450D, Canon 55 -250 lens@250mm, 1/250@f5.6,ISO 800,raw file processed in Lightroom 3.


  1. Gorgeous shot, Chris. My winter photos seem to turn out black and white, which I really like, but it would be nice to get some color in for a change. Guess I need to spend more time waiting for dawn and dusk. I notice that you've been using your Canon SLR lately. When do you decide to use the Canon over the Sony?

  2. I only have an 18-55mm lens for the Sony so I use the Canon with my telephoto and wide angle zooms.

  3. Makes sense. Currently, I'm using a 1000D but after using a friend's G2 am considering switching to mirrorless. The availability of lenses can only get better.