In my opinion some of the most spectacular sunsets occur just minutes after the sun disappears below the horizon. Under the right circumstances the sun illuminates the clouds and turns them into the most spectacular backdrop. This was taken on 11-26-2014 at 6:42pm at the Arthur R Wildlife Refuge.

I shot other photos beginning 45 minutes prior that I also enjoy. Place them side by side and the difference is staggering. It’s amazing how much our surroundings change in a matter of minutes.

The sky reminded me of Mar. It was as if I was this awestruck 5 year old. The enthusiasm. I was fumbling with my phone to snap pictures. I was nervously trying to study my camera settings to make sure everything was perfect. It was one of those moments that I had to act fast and I knew I only had s small window of opportunity.

If you look just above the silhouette of the land you will notice what looks like wavy plumes of smoke. It reminded me of the Aurora Borealis! It was dancing as I stood taking pictures. Taunting me to take more – so I did!

I think this was my closest experience to visiting another planet…

Another photo taken prior to the last blog entry. I like this one best out of the series. Shortly after this photo was taken I almost mistakenly stepped on a fairly large alligator. That was my bit of excitement for the day. I will post a link to the video for your enjoyment.

Via Flickr:
Landscape taken tonight at Arthur J Marshall Wildlife Refuge. My first shots of the year. The weather was perfect and this was taken just about sunset. For the unfamiliar this site is the northeastern most section of the Florida everglades. I have spent countless hours shooting both landscape and macro here. I am seldom disappointed.