Sky candy…

I admit it. I am a sucker for gorgeous skies. Sunrises and sunsets are kind of like the golden retriever puppy of photographic images–things just look more beautiful, more poignant, when they are framed by a deeply striking sky. But while they are alluring, that is not to say the sky should do all the compositional heavy lifting. The sky may be the star of the show, but its supporting cast–that is the rest of the composition–must be strong as well, in order for the image to really work. This photo, for example, was the result of an early morning trek outside my hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona a couple of winters ago. I knew I wanted to capture the deep orange glow of the morning( and Mother Nature did not disappoint) but it took a while to settle on the balance between earthly and ethereal delights. This rock was actually a small, faraway hill, the palm branches on the resort property where I stayed deceivingly make it look as if everything in silhouette are relatively close. I loved the jagged edges and curves of the rock, as they carved a sharp line against the crayola morning sky. In the end, this is the frame that spoke to me. Hope you enjoy…

f/5.0, 1/60th sec, ISO 100, 85 mm