Photo of the Day – 2 November 2016: Return to Portland Bill
The shot below is what I had been hoping to get on my previous visit to Portland Bill a few days earlier. A view along the rocky pensinsular illuminated by the setting sun. On that first occasion I had been frustrated when the sun disappeared behind a bank of cloud on the horizon. The compensation that day was to be rewarded with a much more interesting image instead. This time, the sun was more cooperative.
Portland Bill sunset
(Click on image for a larger version)
As the afternoon had progressed, it became obvious that conditions were promising for a good sunset. The decision was where best to experience it and get a shot. Portland Bill seemed to be the nearest place within reach, so I headed there. Unfortunately, I had rather misjudged the travelling time and arrived with just half an hour or so of daylight remaining. I had barely enough time to clamber down to the ledge from where this was taken and set up the camera on the tripod. At that point, the sun was behind some cloud but reappeared soon after I was ready. I took the shot and was about to recompose, when the light faded. The scene had existed for the briefest of moments.
The Setting Sun
The light losing its warm colour before the sun has completely set is something I have observed previously on the coast. In most places the sun the contours of the land ensure that the sun is no longer visible before it has finally set, so the effect is not usually noticeable. When there is only sea, in the right conditions it is possible to watch it go down right to the horizon if there is no cloud around. The light fades about 20 minutes beforehand.
Portland Bill At Dusk
(Click on the image for a larger version)
There was a spectacularly colourful sky after the sun had dipped below the horizon. Although the sun cannot be seen, its rays are coming from below the horizon and are reflected by the clouds.
The lighthouse as well
Portland Bill Lighthouse at sunset
(Click on the image for a larger version)
There was not just colour in the part of the sky where the sun had set. When I turned around to look at the lighthouse, that too was a picturesque scene.
This post is part of my occasional “Photo of the Day” series when I publish any shots which I think might be of interest and tell the story behind them. They might not necessarily be portfolio standard images, nor the final version, but still be of sufficient interest for inclusion in my blog. If I do not show a shot on any given day, it does not mean that I did not take any photographs, just that I did not get anything worthwhile. For me, that is part of the fun of photography, not knowing what you will find on a shoot when nothing is planned.