Catalina Sunset Square
The golden hour or sometimes called the magic hour is caused by sunlight traveling further thought the atmosphere because it is at a low angle. This light has softer highlights and shadows in addition to the often seen warm hue. This is perfect light for landscape and portrait photography.
The image presented here is an excellent example of this beautiful time of day. You will note the excellent detail in the shadows both in the foreground and the hills in the distance. Colors that normally would have been drab gray are now rich golden where they receive direct sun light. Can you imagine how much would have been lost of the photographer had not included the yellow grass along the bottom edge of the frame? It would have taken a lot of death away from this image.
The photographer has cropped this image in a square format for effect. This is reminiscent of the medium film format size of 6cm x 6cm (2 1/4 x 2 1/4) used by Hassleblad and other cameras. A few years ago this format was a sign that the photographer was using quality camera equipment. It was like the BMW of camera formats.
In this image the square format works well except I would have liked to have a little more dramatic sky considering the amount of area it represents.
Click on Image 
January 28th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I was trying to use the rule of thirds when I composed the image. I did crop it for the BMW effect : ) but only from the left side. The sky I have is all I got.
Is there a rule of thirds exceptions list somewhere I missed?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Once you know the rules you can break them.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Darn,
No one ever told me that rule : )
January 28th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Just for the record, the Hassy “6X6″ is 6cm X 6cm or 60mm X 60mm, and approximately 2-1/4″ X 2-1/4″.
Now for the image, a beautiful lanscape shot! The three things in my book that make a good photograph are: a good subject, good technique, and good conditions. This image has all three.
In a perfect world, we would not have the striations in the sky cause by con trails from jet aircraft. If you have a “sky” library you could drop in an appropriate sky. If I were to make a large print to mat and frame I would change the sky. Just a thought.
January 28th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Bill,
Thanks for you input. I suppose I have a sky library from other images I have. What I don’t have is Photoshop or the knowledge of how to replace a sky.
Since Davis Monthan Air Force base is located here in Tucson we get so used to the con trails we don’t even see them.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Bill,
Corrected 6cm x 6cm
That’s what happens when I have beer on my Cheerios.
Thanks, Jim