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The Trouble With Sunsets
6 January 2025
We were lying on the couch Saturday evening pondering the possibilities for dinner when we saw the sun reveal itself as it was setting on the horizon. It had been overcast but there was just enough cloud cover to make the sunset interesting.
We grabbed the iPhone 15 Max, set it to the 5x lens and went to the window to snap the sun partly masked by what was left of the cloud cover. We were a little late. What had been a moon-like circle was a jumble as the sun reached the horizon.
So we went back to the couch.
We texted the image to Joyce at the nursing home, as we're in the habit of doing so she can keep up with her sunset. And we returned to our mindless pursuits.
Only to see the sky redden enough to make us leap up and take a better picture of the sunset.
We did this twice more (the fourth didn't survive Apple's computational photography) before darkness relieved us of the task.
But it raised a sticky point.
When's the best time to capture a sunset?
The first one has the sun but is a little less saturated. The second is strong in the yellow-orange range and the third brings out the drama of the purples.
You might think capturing the widest range from yellow to purple would make the most dramatic shot. But sitting on the couch, it's hard to tell when exactly to get up for that.
There is an irresistible inertia to wait. Until, well, it's too late.
That's the trouble with sunsets. They continue to develop in beauty until, poof, it's suddenly dark.
