Beginning of the Decade
A fiery sunset on the first evening of 2020.
A fiery sunset on the first evening of 2020.
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Canon EOS 6D Mark II
Aperture f/18 ISO 100 Shutter 32/10 Focal Length 16/1 
San Francisco, California, US
Jan, 2020Views
447
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Awards
Spring 23 Award
Curator's Selection
Hidden Gem Award
Top Shot Award 21
Spring 21 Award
Contest Finalist in My Town Photo Contest
Judge Favorite
9Teen Award
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at 'The Palace of Fine Arts' Museum, San Francisco. It's an iconic landmark in the city.Time
This image was shot at 5:14 pm on the evening of January 1st, 2020.Lighting
Lighting is not just essential for a photograph, it makes or breaks the deal. The color in the clouds and the reflections below created all the drama, but the building was not lit enough. So I waited a few minutes for it to get dark enough for the lights of the building to turn on. That way, not just the sky and the foreground but my subject, the building, itself was well illuminated.Equipment
Canon 6D M2 with the 16-35 lens mounted on a tripod. My lens had a circular polarizing filter on it to enhance the reflections.Inspiration
California skies in winter are a sight to behold, especially at the time of sunrise and sunset. So I am always looking out at the weather and scouting locations to shoot during sunrise or sunset. On Jan 1st, I was a bit unwell. So I did not want to spend a lot fo time looking for a new place. But the weather showed as cloudy with rains the following day. I knew the sky would be vibrant. So I headed out to 'The Palace of Fine Arts', SFO. This place is right in the heart of the city, so I had to account for the traffic. We drove for 2 hours and reached the spot before 4:00 pm. I then scouted for some point of views, to align the clouds and architecture while waiting for the colors to burst in the sky. And then, when the colors burst int he sky, I was right where I wanted to be.Editing
I have a simple PP workflow. I import the image into Lightroom with the lens profiles added and the blue bar in the calibration set to 100 and noise removed. Sometimes I change the colors to Adobe-Landscape to get vibrant hues. Usually, I do not need to do any more post-processing. For this image too, that is all I did. A little de-haze completed the job for me.In my camera bag
I primarily shoot landscapes. So besides a camera body, my lens bag has a corresponding wide angle lens with polarizing filter on, a tripod, a remote trigger and a GND filter just in case I need one. Sometimes if I know beforehand that I may need it, I carry a telephoto lens. Besides these, an extra battery pack, a reusable water bottle, a pair of gloves and ear-muffs is what I alway carry. San Francisco where I shoot most of my images and the beaches in Bay Area, are usually cold. So I like to carry minimal gear and keep myself warm.Feedback
Plan and prepare. Reach the spot you wish to shoot well ahead of time. That way, you have time to accommodate for any contingencies. Once I reached Yosemite and the entire stretch where I wanted to shoot was full. I could not get the shot. So more popular the spot, more ahead of time I try to reach so that I get the shot for which I made the trip. And for situations where I cannot get the planned shot for whatever reasons, I keep alternatives ready. For any shot involving buildings where the sky and colors is behind the building, it's always advisable to plan the shot when the building lights are on. That adds to the drama in the picture and saves a lot of post-processing.
