Lauren and the Amazing Technicolor Sunset

In case you didn't know, I love sunsets and sunrises.  I generally like sunsets more just because it doesn't involve me waking up early, but they both bring me a lot of joy.  To put my love of sunsets in perspective, I'll use my Instagram posts as reference (inserted shameless plug: feel free to follow me on Insta (@laurenmichelleowen) if you want a shorter version of what I do here that updates almost every day as opposed to once a week-ish).  I have discussed before my love of Zeus, the best dog in the world, so he will act as the constant which I will use to demonstrate my love of sunsets.  Zeus features on Insta since starting work in August: 7.  Sunset/sunrise features on Insta since starting work in August: 17, including one on my very first day of work here at camp.  They're just the best, and sunset watching is one of the best self care behaviors that I use for myself.  So, I thought my blog would be the perfect platform to talk about how I go about deciding when and where to go sunset-seeking.  Here are my tips and tricks for enjoying the best sunset of your life.

The photo that I use as the background for my blog was taken a couple miles down the road from camp in a hay field!

Disclaimer: These are my personal tips that I use when I go sunset watching, and I will be the first to tell you that sunsets are finicky.  It may look like the perfect conditions for a great sunset, and then 10 minutes beforehand it all kind of just disappears.  That's ok.  All sunsets are beautiful, and it just gives you another reason to try it again some other time.  Also, these are my tips, which means that they are totally subjective and may not work for you.  I encourage you to find the perfect sunset-watching process for you.

• Give yourself plenty of time - If you want to go sunset watching, make sure that you set aside at least 30 minutes.  The changing colors are the perfect opportunity to just sit and bask in the changing sky.
• Plan ahead - Watching a sunset can sometimes take some planning.  If you think a sunset is going to be a good one (something I'll talk about in some of the other points), get going to your favorite sunset watching spot ASAP.  Mine happens to be about a 5-10 minute drive away in Brown County State Park, which can be the whole margin of peak-sunsetness.  You want to be in place and ready to enjoy the sunset when it happens.
• A beautiful day does not necessarily equal a beautiful sunset - The best sunsets that I've ever seen have always had clouds in them, as evidenced by the pictures in this blog post.  This is because the clouds are super important for reflecting different colors and adding texture and depth to each sunset.  Clouds are often responsible for the deep oranges and fuschias that are found in my own sunset pictures.  If it gets to be around an hour to 30 minutes or so before sunset and there are clouds in the western sky, especially near the horizon, you'll probably be in for a lovely sunset.  This also applies to just landscape photography at any point of the day, not just sunrise and sunset.  My favorite nature landscapes that I have taken pictures of all involve clouds or fog.  It just adds a really cool dimension to pictures, especially because they shift so quickly and spontaneously.

This is a sunrise picture, but you get the point

• Don't feel like you have to cement yourself in one spot - If you have one chosen sunset spot, that's great, but know that the Earth's position moves throughout the year, so the exact place that the sun will set on the horizon will also move.  My favorite place for sunset watching that I found in August isn't really that picturesque right now because the sun has moved behind a bunch of trees.  I would encourage you, at least once, to allow yourself to move while watching a sunset, either by walking or driving.  The perspective change can be beautiful, and you might also find a new favorite sunset spot along the way.  Also, if you love to take sunset pictures (like me), a change of perspective can make it easier to keep all of your sunset pictures from looking the same.  The pictures below really show what I'm talking about.  The first picture was taken on September 14, and the second was taken on October 5 from the exact same place in Brown County State Park.  My personal perspective point is slightly different, but you can definitely see just how much the sun's position on the horizon has shifted in just a few weeks. 

• Do it for the 'Gram - Similar for #4, switch up how you photograph sunsets if you take a lot of pictures of them (guilty).  I've taken sunset pictures from lakes, in hay fields, in my sideview mirror, through trees, on top of fire towers, and I find that it makes sunset watching even more fun to have that challenge of trying something new.

• Be patient - Personally, when I go sunset watching I like to give myself an hour or more, which is about 30 minutes on either side of the sunset time that I find on Google or my weather app.  Generally, I've found that the actual sunset time is not as impressive as the minutes immediately preceding and following it.  The full hour also allows you to see the full cycle of the sunset, from evening to true night.  I learned patience when it comes to sunsets by almost missing the most beautiful sunset of my entire life.  I was doing historical research for my capstone in Kansas, and I found myself in an old Jesuit cemetery overlooking a river valley (like you do), and I noticed the cloud pattern and thought the sunset would be perfect that day.  I found a good spot in the cemetery to see the full sunset, and checked the sunset time on my phone.  I had about 20 minutes, so I sat and waited.  The 20 minutes went by, and the sunset was fine, but not incredible.  Disappointed, I got on the road back to my hotel.  I had probably been on the road for less than 10 minutes when I noticed the inside of my car starting to glow pink.  I looked in my rearview mirror and realized that I simply hadn't waited long enough to let the sunset do its thing.  The sun was no longer visible, but the rays were reflecting off the clouds and creating this incredible panorama of color and texture.  Needless to say, I quickly found another hill to drive up and took pictures (like the one below) and sat until the sky turned fully dark.  So, wait a bit.  This is also why I give myself plenty of time for sunsets (I don't go sunset watching if I have somewhere to be).

• Allow yourself to just watch every time - This probably sounds hypocritical considering the sunset photography that I indulge in, but I can honestly tell you that I always, always take time to just sit and enjoy the sunset every single time I go watch.  If I could name my process, I would probably call it the Shoot and Bask.  Take the picture, capture what you're trying to capture, and then put the phone in your pocket and just look and breathe.  If you bask and then shoot, you spend the whole basking time thinking about the picture you're going to take.  This is a cycle that can take as much time as you want.  Maybe you knock out all of your pictures then sit and wait for the rest of the colors to bleed away.  Maybe you're like me, where I am constantly shooting, breathing deeply and thanking God for his gift of creation, then quickly walking or driving to a different to spot just to start the whole cycle over again.
• How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? - Sorry, Sound of Music reference, mostly just to say that there are so many variables that go into a great sunset and your ability to enjoy it, so adaptability can be a real asset.  I am absolutely guilty of pulling over when I'm driving somewhere just to look at the sunset and take pictures.  I also know that it's really hard to move to a different vista when the spot that you're in is already spectacular, but I do it anyway just to do something new.  Allow yourself that freedom to enjoy a sunset whenever and however it presents itself.  Also allow yourself to miss a great sunset.  We have responsibilities as people, and that sometimes means that we can't watch the sunset when we want to, and that just helps to make those times when the sunset is beautiful and we have the opportunity to watch even sweeter.

Happy Hunting!