Tropical Impression

The other evening I happened to glance out of the window and noticed that a spectacular, well better than average, sunset was unfolding. I grabbed my camera and charged out the door. I knew this was only going to last a brief minute or two.

(That's something else I'm going to put on my list in the off chance I get to have that one on one with God one day. Why can't He hold that sunset in place for just a few more minutes? Freeze the action so that slow photographers like me don't miss a thing. Especially on those evenings when the cloud coverage is perfect and the angels are finger painting with pinks and purples and yellows. Colors more vivid than Crayola could ever hope to achieve.)

I had a shot in mind as I madly dashed across the street and set up camp in my neighbor's back yard. My own front yard wasn't good enough. I was convinced that if I could put one more house behind me the view would open up and the result would be perfection. (There are times when my reasoning doesn't even make sense to me.) As luck would have it, the picture in my head was just that, in my head. But I noticed a palm tree reflecting in the water amid those waning hues of sunset. Perhaps it would do.

And then I had an idea. I have been working on teaching myself the finer points of shooting in-camera double exposures and wondered if this little reflection might be a good candidate for the effect. Click, click click and a little Photoshop tweaking later and this is the result.

I have to say I am very pleased with the outcome. The colors are soft and warm. The palm tree appears to be melting in the warm Florida sun. It wasn't the shot in my head when I dashed out of the door but sometimes God delights me with something better. This was one of those times.

My question is this, if someone buys this masterpiece do I have to pay my neighbors a commission? Just wondering.