We asked Great Lakes photographers to send us their favorite and toughest Great Lakes shot. Scott Thomas of Scott Thomas photography sent us this photo.
Star Burst Sunset
A favorite daily ritual of people who live or vacation along the eastern shore of Lake Ontario is coming down to the beach each evening to watch the sunset from spring to fall. Most nights the show is spectacular with deep colors that paint any clouds in the sky the lower the Sun gets on the horizon. I have witnessed many nights Nature was given a standing ovation for her efforts.
This day was not one of them. Most people had given up on the sunset and left the beach on this chilly evening. I set up my tripod at the edge of the pebble beach not far from Port Ontario. While not a tough shot to photograph, it required me to have some foresight as to what would occur. I noticed the sun track through the cloud bank and the opening near the horizon it would pass through as it set. I knew when the sun did appear it would be between the clouds and the lake. This would create a small, bright light source like a large lamp versus a large golden ball normally seen as the sun sets. I guessed correctly and it even created a beautiful star effect with the lens on my camera.
The tough part was working with the photo afterward in the computer to bring out all the detail in the lake and clouds around the bright star burst. I learned a lot from this sunset and it has become my favorite from Lake Ontario.
-Scott Thomas