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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Eighteen: Light and Landscape – combining personal vision with nature’s gifts > Sunset, Arches National Park, Utah, 2006
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21-SEP-2006

Sunset, Arches National Park, Utah, 2006

We went into Arches on a heavily overcast evening. Rain was falling lightly. There was no indication that we would see even a hint of a sunset. As the sun was dropping in the sky, it found a crack in the clouds just above the horizon, spreading golden light along the fields of sage and the distant rock formations. I emphasize rich golden brown fields of sage, which contrast dramatically to the heavy clouds above. Nature offered us a lasting lesson that evening – never look at dreary skies overhead and assume that sunset light is impossible. All it takes is a small crack at sunset between the clouds and the horizon to create the lighting conditions for an image such as this one.

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Phil Douglis26-Nov-2006 03:03
You are right, Christine -- moisture usually enhances the richness of color. And yes, Utah's oxidized earth does look a lot like Arizona's Sedona area, where we photographed together.
Christine P. Newman26-Nov-2006 01:20
The light rain had probably made everything shinier and brighter as well, giving an additional quality to the colours. These colours remind me of Arizona as well.
Phil Douglis19-Nov-2006 00:55
Thanks, Ai Li -- this image is one of my favorite landscapes, and it taught me a good lesson. When it comes to clouds and sun, you never know what is going to happen. If you have the ability to hang around for a while, wait it out and hope for the best. The best happened here. The small break in the clouds intersected with the sun, and made this shot work for me.
AL18-Nov-2006 14:48
You're absolutely right, Phil and it's worth waiting for the crack. I'm honestly guilty of being put off by cloudy skies. I like your strong contrast and the color gradation. The dark patch at the middle of the sage seemed to echo the overcast clouds, but the warm light elsewhere seemed to suggest a sign of clearing skies.
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