Down to the Last Drop

Last night, I paid a visit to Birch Bay State Park, hoping to find a sunset. My instincts were correct, especially since, at least this time of year, you can watch the sun set all the way to the horizon, unobstructed by any nearby mountains or islands. Tip: If you visit this park, be sure to have your Discover Pass or your day pass - the rangers were checking!

First, we have some yarrow in the foreground. My intention for this shot was for it to not be a straight silhouette, but to have some discernible detail in the flowers themselves. I think this image works in that regard, and would even more so upon editing. F/5.6.

Next, I couldn't resist a straight-on shot of the sunset, just before the last bit of the sun dipped below the horizon. I think it turned out rather well, and I'm particularly pleased with the way the orange shows up on the water. There's a bit of pincushion distortion visible on the horizon, but it's not too severe in this shot and will be pretty simple to correct.

Lastly, a shot of a wave a bit after sunset. I'm not so sure about the square crop - I don't think square crops lend themselves as well to landscapes as rectangular crops - but it was what ended up fitting the composition best. I used a shutter speed of 1/5 of a second to blur the water a bit.