It is a true wonder how something that happens everyday, something as simple as a sunset, can still be magical to watch, every single time. Seeing that big ball of fire sinking into the sea, or soil, wherever you may be watching it from, has always been fascinating to me. And thinking about it, during the last few years, I have never seen a sunset without snapping a few photos. This can also be a curse, because I’m not taking in the full experience of this natural wonder, and instead I’m trying to figure out which is the best setting to take the photo with.

How many times do we manage to watch a sunset? It happens everyday, and can be seen from anywhere, but yet, we are always too busy to look at it. Sometimes we have to actually plan to go watch the sunset. Make a whole date out of it. Which is not a bad idea! But why? Long gone are the times when the day revolved around the sun, and people actually watched the sun set and be thankful because that meant that their working day was over. Nowadays, people are still working when it grows dark. People have to go places, looking at their phone to make sure that they are on time.

So here’s a suggestion – look up. When you’re walking in a city, look up at the buildings and see the beautiful architecture. If you’re walking in the countryside, look up at the sky and see the different cloud shapes. If you happen to be walking during sunset, look for the beautiful colours in the sky, and if you’re lucky enough to see the sun, watch it making its way down, with the promise of coming up again the next day.

Living on a small island, and being close to the sea, makes the sunset so mesmerising to watch. However, watching the sun set in any country is still one of the most beautiful things in life. Here are some of the magical sunsets that I managed to get a photo of.

Sunsets by the sea

All of the below were pre-planned – we actually knew that this place offers spectacular views during sunset, so we got there just in time to snap some photos.

Sunsets on holidays

On the contrary to the above, when you are in a foreign country, you have no idea when and how to see the sun setting. But sometimes it happens that you are walking and exploring, and you notice the sky, with those pink and orange colours. And you know that it’s time to get your phone/camera out (if you aren’t snapping photos already). Sometimes, even if you don’t see the actual big ball of fire, the colours of the sky on their own are just enough for you to enjoy the show.

‘Unplanned’ sunsets

By unplanned, I mean that you are not on holiday, and definitely not watching the sky waiting for the sun to set. But you are going about life, going to meet friends, doing stuff at home, and something calls you to actually look up, or out of the window.

I took the below photo from our roof, after I looked out of the window and saw the beautiful sky. Although the buildings are in the way, the sky was on fire that night. It was just after a big thunderstorm had struck the island, and we were rewarded with that 🙂

It can also happen that you’re going somewhere, minding your own business, when the sun calls out to you, just to watch it shine. So you oblige and switch on your camera 🙂

By the grace of today’s technology

Nowadays it is fairly easy to still feel like you’re outside, even when you are in your PJs on the couch. Having a friend with whom I share my love for sunsets, we share a lot of photos that we manage to capture of this natural wonder. He sent me the below two photos during his trip in Peru, and you can feel the magic coming right out at you through the pictures.

Bonus point – Sunrise

And for the early birds, unlike me, who manage to wake up right before the sun is rising, you guys have a spectacle of your own. The world is still quiet and you can enjoy the scene with a cup of tea. These pictures are the only two sunrises I have managed to see in my life, and I don’t regret getting out of bed just to get a glimpse of that 🙂

 

“There is a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty.” – Cheryl Strayed