Khwai sunset
Sunset in the Okavango Delta, October.
Sunset in the Okavango Delta, October.
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Feb, 2019Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in the wilds of the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana, specifically in the Moremi game reserve. This is wild and untamed area, completely unfenced, with no signs of human civilisation for miles around. I am an amateur photographer, so I learn something new from every photo I take.Time
This picture is always special for me. I took it on my first evening upon arrival in Botswana. Like so many evenings that followed, I was shown a wonderful Botswana sunset. The precise time of this picture is 18:12 - just as the sun is about to dip below the horizon of the Delta.Lighting
As I am an amateur photographer, I have no lighting equipment. However, I wanted this picture to remain as natural as possible, showing its raw beauty. I wanted to capture the sun just about to dip below the horizon, but at the same time I wanted the main tree to also be a subject, drawing the viewer to both the sun and the vegetation. I love how the sun's rays reflect off the clouds, make the tree more of a silhouette and how you can see the sunlight in the small puddle in the foreground.Equipment
This was shot simply on an iPhone 7 back camera, f1.8, ISO 20. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
To be honest, I was so overwhelmed by the sounds and sights of the bush when I arrived in Botswana, everything was a whirlwind and I didn't know what to take a picture of. Anything and everything seemed to be what followed! Here we were on an evening game drive, and were just stopping to admire the sunset at this area known to the local bush guides as 'leopard lagoon'. This is when I took this shot, as I was completely in awe of the African sunset - it was so different to European ones.Editing
As I am learning, landscapes and particularly those involving sunsets or sunrises do tend to need some post-processing. Some people want to reduce the flare of the sun, or want to focus its rays onto a particular subject in the image. Personally, I felt this picture did that for me: the sun's rays directly hit the back of the main tree, giving it a detailed silhouette. I wanted this to be unedited because I feel that this picture sums up how beautiful southern African sunsets can be.In my camera bag
As I am an amateur photographer, I really don't have much equipment. But what I do have, I will always take: my iPhone and Panasonic DMC-FS15 camera, a cloth for clean dust off lenses (particularly when in hot and dusty environments like Botswana), and a good pair of sunglasses to enjoy the sunset with!Feedback
What is unique about sunsets in Botswana and generally African countries not too far from the equator, is that the sun sets unbelievably quickly. Many people how have not been to these places will not quite understand when I say 'quickly', it is not like a sunset in Europe. At one minute, the full heat of the African sun can be shining on you, and within minutes it will cast a golden or red-orange glow before dipping below the horizon and bathing the sky in a wonderful pink-purple. If you are shooting in these environments, always be prepared for the speed of the sunset, and go out every day to capture one. One day you will capture a scene that cannot be replicated.
