Sunset in the Judean Desert
Actual sunset was these colors. Never seen one like this before or since.
Actual sunset was these colors. Never seen one like this before or since.
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May, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in August 2011 on my trip to Israel. It's at a Bedouin encampment not too far from Masada and the Dead Sea. (31°18'19.458" N 35°16'16.109" E)Time
Sunset at that time of year was just around 8pm. I had finished dinner and wandered outside with my camera to see what was around. I wasn't expecting the combination of a clear view of the palm trees in the distance and the amazing colors in the sky during and after sunset.Lighting
Most sunsets I've seen are yellows, reds and oranges. This one, with the combination of orange at the horizon and purple rather than blue or black higher in the sky was shocking. That's really the most unbelievable thing about this shot -- the fact that the colors in it are really what was there that night in the sky just as the sun went below the horizon.Equipment
Canon Rebel T2i with a Tamron 18-200mm lens on it. I wanted to isolate the pattern of three trees, so I zoomed to 42mm to focus in on those and eliminate the rest of the surroundings.Inspiration
The fact that I hadn't seen colors like this in nature combined with the simplicity of the trees on the horizon. I knew if did it right, I'd get them in silhouette against the glow from the sun after it went below the horizon.Editing
More minimal post-processing than I normally do on my landscapes. This needed almost no tweaks in Lightroom to the exposure or colors. I did remove two tent stake lines visible on the one side. Plus two small plants that interrupted the otherwise flat horizon. I've wondered if I should go back with the current version of Lightroom and consider more noise reduction or sharpening, but I never have.In my camera bag
For travel shots, I go with minimal gear. My current body is a Canon 80D. My go to lens is a Tamron 18-300mm which gives me tremendous reach on the crop sensor. I usually have my gorilla pod in there -- very useful when I don't want to carry a tripod. I've got a flash in there but I don't use it that often.Feedback
Visiting Israel (or other places in the Middle East) it'll depend on the weather and time of year. Then, you'll need to get pretty far away from civilization as well. This valley area was away from cities and other lights. And, the low valley meant that not only did the sun set behind the hill earlier, but that the trees were backlight and then in silhouette. It would have been a very different shot on either flat ground or from the top of a mountain or hill.
