Featured Photo: Streamer Eater on the Clinch

Featured Photo: Streamer Eater on the Clinch

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Early Winter Sunsets


As far as I can tell, one of the chief disadvantages of winter is the early sunsets. Cold weather is great as far as I'm concerned, and I enjoy ice and snow. The weather tends to be gray and even drizzly more often which provides great fishing. Really, I cannot find too many things wrong with winter.

I know that a lot of you will probably want to get on my case for my appreciation of winter and especially the cold weather and that's fine. I'm just glad that so many people dislike the cold months. The fewer people who get outside the more I can feel like I have it to myself. 

Selfishly, this is probably the main reason I like winter. The colder and nastier it is out the fewer people I have to compete with for fishing, and less people also means I am more likely to get uncluttered pictures. In the summer, especially in high traffic tourist areas like the Smokies, I have to often wait and wait and then wait some more for people to get out of my pictures. Winter brings a pleasant change of pace where I can pretty much show up, take my pictures, and then leave for the next spot.

The one silver lining to the short days is that the sun is in the sweet spot for more time both in the morning and the afternoon. I'm talking about that time when the sun has sunk to just above the horizon or perhaps has just made its first appearance for the day. The golden hour of light is a photographers dream.

In winter, that warm light lasts longer and seems even richer than normal. My obvious appreciation of winter may bias me here, but I think that the trajectory of the sun this time of year keeps it close to the horizon longer without actually sinking behind and out of sight.

The result is some of the best sunsets you will find anywhere. If you want to see a great sunset, winter is one of the best times to do so. The air is usually clearer and cleaner so the colors are brighter. Landscapes bask in the glow of the late afternoon winter sun.

Almost daily I promise myself that I'll start getting up early and heading back out in the afternoons to catch that light, but usually I'm doing good to just get the late afternoon version. Still, the sun blesses me with some nice opportunities to photograph the sunset. Maybe I'll get up for the sunrise tomorrow...



8 comments:

  1. One other nice thing about winter is that you can get up at the same time, but make it to the creek/lake at sunrise rather than after the suns been up for a while.

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    1. Mark, I will have to agree with you on that one. It is tough in the summer when you have to be up at 4:00 a.m. if you want to hit the water early.

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  2. David
    Awesome sunset, winter is the one season that I tend to get bored with, and start to look forward for spring. I will say that I will take winter over the hot humid summers here in the south any day. Thanks for sharing

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    1. Bill, wouldn't it be great if it could be either spring or fall year round? That would be perfect if you ask me.

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  3. Winter outdoors along a stream can be a hauntingly quite time where just listening to the water flow is sweet music. I don't get out as much in the winter as I should and/or used too...................

    Thanks for putting me in the mood!

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    1. Mel, it can be tough to be motivated when it gets cold but I think it is worth it, even if you don't fish and just listening to the water as you mentioned. Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. You have to get up early to capture beautiful sunrises and stay up late to get those quality sunsets...

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    1. Howard, I'm still working on that getting up early part. One of these days...

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