In 2019, I took a couple of wonderful sunset photos of Seattle’s West Point Lighthouse while on a business trip. I wrote about one of them in 2020, including details about how and why I ended up in this location. But I’ve long had this second version of the photo in my archives, and I’m happy to share it now.

In the northern reaches of Gloucester, Massachusetts on Cape Ann, where the Annisquam River meets the Atlantic, lies a hidden gem – a secluded stretch of coastline that offers a unique perspective on the setting sun. Unlike most Massachusetts beaches, which face eastward, this western-facing shore provides a rare opportunity to witness the sun’s descent over the land, painting the sky in a vibrant palette of colors.

While exploring Kona’s Hapuna Beach in 2019, I was looking for a scene that really inspired me. It wasn’t until I reached the end of the beach, and found this spot where it transitioned back to natural rock and trees, that I found what I was looking for. I loved the meeting of sand, rock, trees, ocean, and sky with the moon setting on the horizon. And yet I have also long struggled with this photo and feeling like it was not ready for sharing.

Sometimes you find a great photo you didn’t expect in a wonderful location. While visiting family in Pagosa Springs in 2015, I had an idea to take sunset photos on Piedra Road north of town. On one evening in particular, I raced out after the conclusion of a family event and arrived just in time to see the sun had already set. Despite the missed opportunity, I was able to capture a different kind of beauty – an ethereal blue hour shot.

Sometimes the best photos are the ones that you have to wait for. That was certainly the case when I took this shot at Blueberry Lake in Vermont. I had visited this spot before and liked it, but I had trouble finding the right composition for sunset. On this particular visit, I decided to wait and see what the sky would do once the sun had set.