Duelling Sunsets

Sunset, Key West, Florida, USA

I was told that November (in the northern hemisphere) is the best month for sunsets. I never knew it mattered, but this photo blog says:

Time of year is an important consideration for getting the best colours at sunrise or sunset. Because the earth is in transition more in the spring and fall, these are ideal seasons for spectacular vistas of sky, cloud and earth colours as the sun rises and sets. My experience has been that fall is a great time for reds, yellows, and orange variations in the sky and tinting of clouds as they move across the horizon, during, and just after the sun sets. A window of opportunity for great shots is longer for a sunset than a sunrise. 

Hmm..well if you're serious about photographing sunsets (or sunrises), there are plenty of tips on the web. For me, it's more a matter of chance -- being in the right place with a camera when the sun does its spectacular thing.

Here are two very different sunsets snapped this November in different parts of the world.

Sunset, Amalfi Coast (Capri on the horizon), Italy.

Sunset, Key West, Florida, USA.

Butch blows a conch shell to mark sunset, Key West.

Admittedly it's important to enjoy a delicious 'sundowner' with your sunset, but lest you think I'm lazy, and just to prove that I can get up early, here are a few November sunrise shots...

Sunrise, Amalfi Coast.

Sunrise, Amalfi.

Sunrise, Amalfi.

Santorini Sunsets

Sunset on 'the most beautiful island in the world'

No blog report on the Greek island of Santorini would be complete without touching on the magnificent sunsets. As the sun sinks over the Aegean Sea, the view differs depending upon where you situate yourself on the rim of the caldera, but everywhere it's divine.

The sun begins to sink....

...and lowers into the sea..

There's a story in the guide books that the village of Oia (Ia) is the prime location for sunset viewing. It's only when you get there (or when a helpful hotel concierge with Google Earth demonstrates for you) that you realise that Oia faces the wrong way. There's just one good west-facing spot in the village - the ruined castle of Ayios Nikolaos - and every tourist in the place heads for it at sundown. A few enterprising taverna owners have built high and advertise their 'sunset terraces;' and if you can get down to the tiny beach of Ammoudi (and find parking) you might be lucky.

Sunset in Oia...pretty, but not quite the same.

Church of Panagia, main square in Oia

In Fira town, or in Firostefani, the setting sun will make a great display, but will set behind the rim of the caldera on the opposite side of the inner sea. Beautiful. But can we do better?

From Firostefani - but can we do better? 

From Firostefani. Almost perfect.

Not bad at all.

Sundowners in Imerovigli

The best view, we found, was directly out of our hotel room doorways: from the highest point on the caldera at Imerovigli (385 metres asl). From this point our view was between the Oia on the tip of the mainland, and the separate island of Therasia. As a sailboat drifted photogenically into the burnished sea, we sipped our gin & tonics and enjoyed.

Avaton Resort & Spa, Imerovigli

Sunset from poolside at Avaton Resort, Imerovigli

Santorini sunset - hard to beat.