Lighting is one of the most important elements of any photography. Understanding the color, direction, amount of, and quality of light is vital to getting a fantastic photo during short, dramatic sunsets found on the East Coast during the days just before winter solstice.
Ocean City, MD photographer, Joey D. Smith, took advantage of a perfect sunset recently.
Photographers often refer to the hour immediately before the projected time of complete sunset as ‘the golden hour’ or ‘the magic hour’. During an off-road trip along the sandy beaches of Assateague Island National Seashore, Smith deemed the magical hour of sunset ‘power hour’.
“We knew we only had an hour of lighting left as we entered the park. We had to power through the sand for a couple of miles to get to this location and the sun was setting quickly,” recalled Smith about his beach visit with a friend.
“It was like a photographer’s work out; get in the Jeep, tread through the sand, get to a proper location, and capture some photos with good lighting – all in under an hour,” Smith said.
In most cases of ‘golden hours’ for photographer, the term ‘hour’ is used quite loosely. Dusk can settle in before the blink of an eye, or in this case, the snap of a camera’s shutter.
Smith chose to emphasize the length of shadows, utilize glimpses of sunlight shining through objects, and take advantage of interesting angles while photographing his surroundings. Check out the results below:
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To see more work by Joey D. Smith, check out his coastal-inspired clothing, accessory, and art company, EASYLIFE, on the web. Many of Smith’s photographs have been transformed into designs and printed onto wearable items.
