I was with some of my friends tonight exploring the coast after a fun-filled day of tide pooling. As daylight faded, we hiked down a small cove and laid on the sand collecting tiny pieces of flamboyant sea glass. I made the call to head to another cove where we could have a view of the sunset, which was commencing in a matter of minutes. I often don’t remember the moment when I click the shutter. Seeing this photo afterward, it was instantly one of my favorites. I don’t know if it’s the pastel colors that intrigue me, the composition, or the herd of seals where some of them would be washed around by the waves while their eyes were still closed, protected from the wind and tumultuous sea by the towering rocky shelf. Maybe it is just a visual reminder that despite all the craziness that happens not far from here, there is stillness to be found. In that moment, there was nothing but the repetitive sound of the wind and waves, us and nature.

Another round of “nuclear or dud” commenced tonight. An hour before sunset, the sky was gray, and the horizon had a thick gray cloud layer which usually indicates a dud (i.e. not a good sunset) due to the horizon being blocked. I noticed the cloud layer seemed closer in distance than the higher clouds; there was a bit of orange color glowing from underneath. I had a hunch it was going to be a burn if the horizon was clear behind the cloud layer. After many times of missing good sunsets by being lazy, sitting at home, and hoping it was going to be anticlimactic, I decided it was best to take the camera out and see the result. As I left the house, I saw the clouds behind me light up; it almost looked as if they caught fire. I ran as fast as I could to the beach. The clouds ignited with orange and pink before my eyes, as I kept telling myself “I knew it I knew it”. I had my zoom lens on so I couldn’t capture the entire sky, but I was about to see the details of the clouds. Even though the waves were mediocre, there’s nothing like watching nature’s color show. Long after the sun went down, the clouds still had color, still burning.

After living under the fog 24 hours a day during the summer months, it was refreshing to finally to see some deep saturated sunset colors. There was broken up clouds all the way to the horizon, so I was only expecting some light pastel colors. After the sun disappeared over the horizon, the Cumulus clouds started to become more and more pink. I quickly launched the drone to get a bird’s eye view.

ephemeral | əˈfem(ə)rəl |
adjective
lasting for a very short time