Marc Gunn Journal Articles:
Taking Pictures of the Perfect Sunset

It's odd to think that up North, people yesterday had record levels of snow, but here in Texas, high of 65, students were out in shorts, the air was fresh and clean, and God was hard at work painting one of the most-beautiful sunsets imaginable with pink and bluish-purple streaks opposite the sunset. So beautiful, in fact, that I was forced to pull off to the side of the road to avoid an accident. It was just too incredible to miss!

I've been a wee bit disappointed by my photography ability since I've been back in the States. Maybe it's like my mom said, "You take the most-beautiful pictures of Italy during the first six months of moving there."

Maybe I just wasn't opening my eyes. Well the sunset reminded me of an article I read last week, that all of a sudden made sense. Maybe it wasn't just the pictures, it was as much when I was taking those pictures.

As the article explained, some times are better for taking pictures than others. One of the things I loved about taking pictures in Italy was that it was cloudy, low lighting. Sure it made it difficult to take non-blurry pictures, but those pictures came out all the more beautiful! I was able to capture the mood and feeling, my uncertainties, the differing cultures, all in the snap of the lens.

Thus, I began thinking how can I take better pictures in Texas. Now, that's the key. It's a completely different environment. The sun is always shining. There's often rarely a cloud in the sky. Not the most conducive for taking emotional shots of the people and the earth...or is it?