Louisiana has some of the best sunsets on Earth.

This is another beautiful Louisiana sunset as it unfolded tonight at Lake Martin.

5:51 p.m.


6:02 p.m.


6:09 p.m.


6:12 p.m.

Sunsets Are Like Snowflakes

Sunsets are like snowflakes - no two are the same. You could set up a camera in the same spot and shoot the sunset for 365 days in a row and never see the same thing twice. On a clear day with no clouds in the sky, you'll see a huge, glowing ball of fire. Throw in a few clouds and that's where you'll find the best action. It's like looking through a kaleidescope, the image is never the same. Sometimes the colors are magnificent; sometimes they are muted. Reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, purples, blues...and an infinite combination of them all. Some days the clouds glow golden like spun gold.

My favorite place to photograph the sunset is at Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. It's a large body of water so you get a large, unobstructed view of the sky, a tree line in the distance. You can include trees in the foreground of your photos, which will give you some wonderful silhouettes, which can create dramatic effects. Best of all, it's only five minutes or so from my home. I've been known to jump into the car and rush off at the end of the day because I just know the sunset at Lake Martin is going to be beautiful and I have to get some photos of it.

Not only do I like a beautiful sunset, but I love the golden light created by a setting sun. I often take photos of objects basking in the glow of the setting sun. The warmth of the light is very complimentary to everything it shines upon.

Here are some of my favorite sunsets and objects glowing in the sun.

Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight

It takes about an hour for us to drive to work each morning and then home again. My husband drives and I usually observe all the stuff I'd love to stop and photograph. But, alas, I'm not the driver. Probably a good thing, because I may never make it to work in the morning or home in the evening. Before you know it, you'd see my face on milk cartons.

Today, I noticed some wonderful clouds in the sky. As the sun started its decent I knew we were in for a beautiful sunset. And I was right. I watched it unfold through my window and the sideview mirror. I could feel my anxiety build. I hadn't been to the lake since January 30th. Of course I had my camera with me and my tripod was in the car, too. Maybe we could make a quick trip to the lake tonight.

As we neared the sitter's house, I could see the magnificent fireball building in the sky. Layers of clouds looked like spun gold...and I was missing it. So, I asked if maybe we could make a quick trip to the lake after picking up the kids...Nope. Not happening. Too tire...No problem, as soon as we get home I'll drive out...and I did...I was racing against the clock once again to beat the sun to its final destination...my five minute drive seemed to stretch on forever...my chances for catching today's magical sunset were fading as was that spectacular glow...eventually I drove down the lake road, parked at the launch, grabbed all my gear, got my camera mounted on the tripod head (my first time, I might add) and snapped away as quickly as I could. Time was of the essence.

By the time I got this picture, the brilliance had faded... and along with it the stresses of a Monday in the corporate world. This photograph won't win any awards, but photography has won my heart.

This is what it's all about. Feeling that moment of peace and tranquility. And capturing that moment to share it with others.

Photo taken at Lake Martin, Cypress Island Preserve, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, on February 16, 2008.

Hurricane Gustav Comes to Town

After much preparation and anticipation, hurricane Gustav headed straight for us. Of course I made the usual preparations: cleaned house and ensured all the laundry was clean in case we were without electricity for days, bought food that needed little or no preparation, charged all the batteries for the flashlights and portable TV, put all of our family photos and important documents in Ziploc bags and plastic totes for easy transportation, packed overnight bags, fueled up the cars, and made sure we had enough junk food to keep us happy. Oh, and Sporty - The Dog that Adopted Us, followed me into the house at one point, made herself comfortable on the couch and it was obvious that she was here to ride the storm out.

Sunday night when I had completed preparations, Sean asked if I had happened to pick up ingredients for chocolate chip cookies while I was out shopping. I told him that it just so happened that I had. He asked if I could bake some cookies because that would really make it a less stressful situation. So...I baked eight dozen cookies Sunday night and cleaned the kitchen all over again!

Monday morning we awoke to clear skies but it didn't take long for the first bands to appear. Then came the strong breezes, then came the wind and the rain. We lost power around 11:30 a.m. Sean and I watched the events unfold through the storm door in the family room. The worst of the storm hit from around 3:00 - 3:30 pm and we had the girls "camp out" in our walk in closet with lots of pillows, blankets, a flashlight and their Nintendo DS games.

The winds were incredible. At one point they made a deep, rumbling noise that we could feel in our bones. It was like a caravan of 18-wheeles was passing through. It was awesome and scary at the same time. The rain seemed to take the form of sheets in the wind, billowing horizontally. The water rose quickly but as soon as the eye passed over us and the rains stopped, the water drained just as quickly. Luckily the southern wall of the eye had collapsed so we didn't get the second round of strong storms that you would usually expect.

We were lucky - didn't lose a single shingle off our roof. Some of our neighbors weren't as luckily, but still faired well. Quite a few large trees fell, but for the most part missed homes and structures - sometimes by inches.

We are very thankful that we didn't get a stronger storm and that we made it through safe and sound.

To see the description for a slideshow image, click on it.





























This video shows the winds picking up as Gustav approaches.




This video was shot from the back door. It shows the rain blowing horizontally.