The No-Look Shot
By Sherry Davis Johnson
17 Jan 2008
In Los Angeles vistas that appear close enough to touch can take hours to reach by gridlocked freeways. A clear day is when the Santa Ana winds have blown away the harmful pollutants exhausted by millions of cars on the road each day, only to be replaced by dust and dirt, pollen and anything else light enough to linger in the air of her wake. Angelinos anticipate the particulate matter to create a sunset so spectacular it looks made in Hollywood.
I am fascinated by sunsets, sunrises, too. Each one is as different as a fingerprint or a face. I believe each of us has a sunset made just for us. Watch it after you've had a good day. The energy, the glow and your favorite color will speak to you.
Mountains can be in the way. The amateur photographer has to snake through traffic for an appropriate vista to appreciate said sunset. Timing is everything. At the end of a long day you never know just how long it takes to get to your "spot" so sometimes, something new will have to make do.
This day I took the 134 which winds around the foothills. At first, the sunset is behind you, then to your right and then out of sight...for a moment. The pace is fast. Driving 65 on the 134 can get you rammed from behind in the slow lane.
I could feel the heat from the sun moving as the car turned and the sun set. My skin turned golden from the arms to my face as the last light bathed the cabin. You never notice how fast the sun moves until it's near the horizon. I turned my camera on and edged the car near the guard rail and used the shadows for my guide.
Click...click...click. Click...click...click...got it!
A no-look shot!
