Indigo Sunset from Scarborough Pier

Scarborough, Maine

 Over a long, early May weekend in 2022, I was fortunate to be gifted with two consecutive nights with amazing sunsets.  This image, taken from the Fisherman's Pier, just north of Old Orchard Beach in Scarborough was the first night.  I reached the location about an hour before sunset, at the start of the "golden hour," but there was little "gold" to speak of.  Most of the sky was overcast and reflecting a bluish-gray tint with just a sliver of pink along the horizon.  I played around with different compositions along the muddy shoreline before finally finding this composition from atop the wharf.

This scene was captured two minutes after the sun had dropped below the horizon.  I never did see the actual sun the entire time I was there.  The cloud cover was that thick.  As soon as the sun was below the horizon all the blues, yellows and reds I had hoped for suddenly began intensifying, creating great reflections on the water surface.  As frequently happens when the sun sets, a gentle breeze began to blow out of the northwest creating wind ripples on the water.

To capture the full dynamic range of the scene I bracketed my shots creating two exposures above normal, two below normal and finally one dead center in the middle of the other four shot.  To capture more of the overall scene, I shot in a vertical format, taking three sets of images moving the camera from left to right.  The resulting fifteen images were then merged in post processing before making any tonal adjustments to get the colors where they needed to be.  To enhance the colors I chose to print this image on Epson Metallic Gloss.  The frame and matting are custom cut as was the non-glare glass window. 

 The printed image measures 24" x 13."  The Concrete colored matte with its inner, off-white matte measures 29" x 17."  The bold, matte black wooden frame's outside dimensions are 32 1/2" x 23 1/2." All materials are Conservation quality which means, with proper care, this print should last for several generations. 

 This framed print is on display at the Gilford, New Hampshire branch of Franklin Savings Bank until July 15, 2022. The bank is located at 11 Sawmill Rd, just off the Gilford exit on Rt 11.

Camera Talk:
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: 24-70mm f/2.8
Focal Length: 34mm
Exposure: 1/2 sec, f/14, ISO 64, Manual
Brackets 1/8 sec, 1/4 sec, 1 sec & 2 sec