The Magic of a Sunset

The story behind the beauty of sunrise and sunset

Scrolling through my folders of pictures I stumble upon them over and over again. Sunsets. Sunsets are fascinating. Sunsets inspire us. Sunsets are the peaceful time of the day. Sunsets are magic!

“Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” — Rabindranath Tagore

The twilight

This time of the day is somehow special to us humans. It’s romantic. It’s beautiful. It’s attractive. Movies and books are written in and about twilight.

Because it sells.

The magic of the dusk and dawn sells to the audience. The magic of the colors of the sky during these times is just not to be overlooked. Because they are never the same.

Not one sunset is the same as the previous one. Every single sunrise is different from the previous one. They are all special. Every single one of them.

Sunrises for the early birds

Sunrises are sometimes overlooked. Because not everyone gets to experience them. You either have to party all night long in order to see a sunrise. Or you have to wake up really early. Depending on where in the world you live and what season it is.

They are never at the same time. Sunrises move slowly from minute to minute. Backward or forwards into the day.
Sunrise is actually a very important time of the day in the world of the animals. Before it gets too hot. Before it gets too busy out there. That is when the animals are out and about. Grazing. Hunting. Playing.

I loved lying on my mattress, covered in a warm sleeping bag, watching the sunrise over the beautiful African horizon. I started waking up during sunrise. Because it gets light. And my body started working with the sun. Not having a watch brought me to the point where I started feeling the days more intense. And I live them with the sun.

From sunrise to sunset.

Sunsets and romance

Sunsets are way more popular than sunrises. It’s easier to make it to sunset. To meet with someone. To make a photoshoot during sunset. Or to just sit on a bench and watch the sunset. Because it’s a more convenient time of the day. You’ve finished work. Usually. You can sit back and relax.

Sunsets are one of the most romantic times of the day. Let’s go for a sundowner. Sit together, have a drink, and chat. Embrace the magic of the moment and let the magic spark between us.

Clouds in the twilight

When planning to take a perfect photograph of a sunset or sunrise you always hope for a clear sky. No clouds. Nothing. Just the blue sky.

But the clouds are actually the ones making the scene unique. The clouds are the ones making this time of the day so colorful. Only with clouds, you get colors of red, pink, purple and everything else. When the last rays of sunshine light up the clouds from below. In different layers and different colors.

That is when the sunset (or sunrise) is perfect. When it shines in more colors than what you can describe.
That is why I love to see the clouds in the afternoon. They are always seen as a bad thing in the sky. They bring us rain, block the sun and bring all the bad weather. But there is also something good in them. They bring us shade, protection from the sun, and create the most beautiful sunsets.

There is always something positive out there. Just look at it from the right point of view.

African Sunsets

There is something special about African sunsets. Sunsets itself are special already. But African sunsets are different. There is real magic in them. You can feel it. The sunset. The vibe is different.

African sunsets go with sundowners and game drives. They go with endless chats about the world’s most important problems which all get solved before the sunsets. I love these conversations. With strangers. Which turn to be all of a sudden friends. Because you met during sunset somewhere in Africa. That connects on a different level.

Sunset in Africa is the sign that it is getting cold now. Whilst you are burning during the day in the heat of the desert you will start getting cold as soon as the sun is gone. This is just how it is. In Africa. The night is cold. Freezing cold.

Sunsets on the beach

Almost everyone will think of a sunset on the beach when mentioning the word sunset. Sunsets on the beach seem to be the most spectacular ones. The ones everyone enjoys. And experiences.

But a sunset can be beautiful in every scenery. It might be a bit more difficult to get those stunning colors up in the mountains because the sun often disappears before it reaches its magic point. But they can be pretty too.

As well as sunsets on any kind of water. A lot of my pictures are actually taken on lakes and rivers and not only on the beach. The water itself obviously adds some special effects to the sunset shot. With reflections and extra colors. That is why sunsets on the beach are so popular. The ocean creates these reflections and lifts up the sunset to another level.
Another level of beauty.

Catching the sun

The challenge of photography is getting the sun in the right spot. When the sun is close to the horizon the game begins. Create a piece of art that involves the sun.

There are millions of perfect shots out there. Captures of the sun involving people holding the sun. Surrounding it. Or simply being next to it.

Sunsets or sunrises aren’t the easiest shots to take as a photographer. Either the background is too bright or everything in the foreground is just black. Sometimes that’s good. Because you just want to capture a silhouette in front of the amazing sunset. But sometimes you actually want to capture all of it. And you don’t have a lot of time. Because the light changes every minute and the sun will either disappear soon or stand too high to take any more proper shots.

It’s a game. It’s a fun game for me. Because I love photography. I love taking photographs. I love playing with the settings of my camera until I’m happy with the outcome.

Happiness in sunrises and sunsets

I love sunsets. Just as much as I love sunrises. They make me happy. With their appearance. Their beauty. Their magic.
I love sunrises because it’s such a quiet time of the day. Most people are still sleeping. Just the animals are awake. Birds are singing while the first rays of sunshine touch my skin.

It’s a bit chilly in the morning. The temperature I need to wake up. I take a deep breath. Inhale a lot of energy. And power. And I smile. Because I feel ready for the challenges of the day.

And the sunset is that time of the day when everything slows down. Time seems to stand still. Nobody is in a rush anymore. Work is done. Everyone got the time for a chat. A drink. And a smile. Until the sun disappears. Then the hustle and bustle of the night begins.

I could watch sunrises and sunsets for hours. If they would last that long. I love taking photographs or time-lapses of them. But I also like just watching them. Inhaling the beauty of the moment. Because it shows again that life is beautiful.

They tell me to be grateful for being able to enjoy such a beautiful moment.

Sunsets make me smile.

Sunsets make me happy.

Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed my words describing the magic of the twilight and enjoyed looking at these photographs.