#87 Is it a Sunrise or a Sunset?

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Someone once asked if, from a picture alone, I could tell a sunrise from a sunset. Not easy.

We were on a mountain ledge somewhere in Sagada in the Mountain Province, and it was a sunrise. We were high enough above the clouds so the sky was clear but the land enveloped in a dreamy mist. Forcing oneself to look just at the emerging sun and the sky, a sunrise and sunset would look identical. The color of the sky and the randomness of the clouds hold little clue to differentiate the two. But there is a way: look at the land. Mist and fog are mostly seen only at sunrise, and if the photograph contains a boat or two, only smaller boats venture out at that time of the day. Are the animals and people in the composition?  We all know where they should be at sunrise! Still, both sunrise and sunset are my favorite times of the day... maybe I should have said... Does it matter? Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: When the sun breaks the horizon it creates contrasts today's digital sensors can't handle. Even with 5 stops of graduated filters, correctly exposing the sun means the rest of the photograph will become too dark. When forced to photograph the naked sun, I meter around the edges of the sun, about 1/4 of the way towards the other end of my composition. This sort-of averages the brightness of the scene and ensures the photograph will show more than just a round bright disc.  Most people don't care to look at the sun anyway.) 

Where in the world is Sagada in the Mountain Province?

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)