Am I the only one?

[JimFox]

Who kind of dies a bit inside to see a beautiful sunset go off and not be able to shoot it?

I had to come inside the house because the sunset is so awesome, it is painful to watch it and not be able to shoot it...

We had gone out this afternoon to a birthday party, and then to the model train store to buy some more track for the train that runs in our Christmas display. While leaving the train store the skies were super dark and gray, so instead of heading to the beach (I had brought camera gear along with) to go shoot, we decided to just go home to get some of the train pieces set up.

I then had just walked out of the house to grab a brick to level up a new extension to our display, and the sky was going nuclear with pinks and reds. All I could do was get back into the house and ask myself why we didn't go to the beach.... Sigh... So I figured I would write this, and hopefully all the color is gone before I stick my head back out the door to go grab a couple more bricks...

Okay, maybe it's safe to go out now...

 

[Darcy Grizzle]

No you are not...I do that all the time. But mostly when the good sunsets are happening I am in my house cooking dinner & not somewhere other than my backyard

 

[JimFox]

No you are not...I do that all the time. But mostly when the good sunsets are happening I am in my house cooking dinner & not somewhere other than my backyard

Darcy, at least you have a decent backyard to shoot from. If I tried to shoot from my backyard, besides the myriad of wires there would be hundreds of houses in my view also.

But glad to know I am not the only one!

 

[AlanLichty]

Not for a minute. Life in the 'burbs often means a lousy shooting environment no matter how incredible the sky show is for a given evening. The best you can do (if you aren't burdened with another task) is to sit back and enjoy the scene instead of stressing over "if I had only..."

Almost all the houses in my neighborhood are two story which makes it impossible to shoot almost anything without visible rooftops. I have seen dozens of almost nuclear sunsets/sunrises over Mt. St. Helens after living in my current abode for almost 20 years now and after a bunch of failed of efforts to find ways to shoot them finally surrendered and gave up on the guilt.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Hey Jim, happens all the time here and I sometimes take pictures, might be a good theme, urban sunrise/sunset. I see 10 for ever one I could possibly get to. That's because we have some very nice sunsets and sunrises. But like you, not a very photogenic place to shoot them.

 

[Jeffrey]

I limit my reaction to those experiences to "Damn, I wish I had my camera, but I have my eyes and memory" and I still enjoy the scene. Of course, that is NOT my reaction if I am looking at a beautiful sunset with my gear, setting up, and promptly dropping my camera on my foot, or finding my only battery just died.

 

[JimFox]

I limit my reaction to those experiences to "Damn, I wish I had my camera, but I have my eyes and memory" and I still enjoy the scene. Of course, that is NOT my reaction if I am looking at a beautiful sunset with my gear, setting up, and promptly dropping my camera on my foot, or finding my only battery just died.

Oh man, if only I could be that way like you and Alan. May tells me all the time if we see an awesome sunset when we are out and not shooting. She will enjoy it totally, but I can't. Maybe it's because I have been using cameras since I was 11? Not sure exactly, but all I know is if I can't photograph a beautiful sunset I seriously try not to look or will go inside. Call me strange (won't be the first time), but it emotionally hurts to not be able to photograph it.

 

[Ryan10]

I was at my son's soccer tournament in Norco both yesterday and today. Saturday's looked more crazy to me. They were both special though.

 

[JimFox]

I was at my son's soccer tournament in Norco both yesterday and today. Saturday's looked more crazy to me. They were both special though.

How did you feel about that? Were you okay with watching the sunset colors, or were you dying a bit inside?

So far, I am seeing I am the oddball... Which I guess isn't too surprising...

 

[Ryan10]

How did you feel about that? Were you okay with watching the sunset colors, or were you dying a bit inside?

So far, I am seeing I am the oddball... Which I guess isn't too surprising...

I was fine. I mean...I was at my son's soccer tournament all weekend long. If I was just at my house doing nothing, then I'd be upset I missed it.

 

[JimFox]

I was fine. I mean...I was at my son's soccer tournament all weekend long. If I was just at my house doing nothing, then I'd be upset I missed it.

Now I got what you mean!

 

[MonikaC]

I used to wish I could shoot those numerous amazing sunsets & sunrise that I "missed" because I was driving somewhere. Seems like I never get those conditions when I'm out shooting. Now I just appreciate them. At those times (when I'm driving), it's easier to do it than when I'm shooting in the opposite direction & the light just never reaches where my lens is pointed. There are a lot of compositions that don't depend on nuclear clouds, and shooting long exposure B&W, it doesn't matter

 

[Kyle Jones]

I've gotten so used to watching sunsets while walking through town with my wife most evenings, that it doesn't faze me too much when they are really special.