Fire in the Sky

[Morkel Erasmus]

This sunset on our recent trip to the Kalahari was one of the most epic displays of light I have witnessed. The problem was that we were driving back to the main rest camp of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park after spending a wonderful afternoon with a cheetah family up the Auob riverbed. No way we could get out of the car an properly compose and shoot this scene - this is lion country (plus it's illegal to get out in the Park)!

I was testing the Nikon V1 on this trip and grabbed it to get some quick shots of the sunset. The sun was setting behind a swirling thunderstorm. We were confined to the vehicle and thus could only use the shrubs on the bank of this dry river to make some sort of composition out of.

Techs:
Nikon V1 with 1 Nikkor 10-30mm @ 10mm
f3.5 @ 1/200 SS @ ISO-400

[Bob Miller]

Loving the sweeping clouds of color...really does look like a "fire in the sky"

[Rachel Hollander]

Morkel - fantastic colors, it must have been beautiful in person. You did well to grab this under the restrictive conditions.

TFS,
Rachel

[Hilary Hann]

I would have killed to get this sky, but the composition does suffer a bit from the lack of your usual foreground. I would almost have risked lions and fines to find a foreground! (only kidding). :w3
Having said that, it is still very beautiful.

[James Fuller]

Amazing light here Morkel, you did a great job with what you had available.

[dankearl]

I like the scene and the colors but I would run some NR on the sky.

[Marc Mol]

Really like this V1 snapshot :t3 here Morkel, just an amazing colour, the temptation to sneak out may have been too great for me.:bg3:

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks guys.

Marc - the temptation was HUGE, but sanity prevailed as this is my self-drive safari destination of choice in my home country and actually affordable so getting my name on the blacklist here for an infringement like that would put a serious dent in the growth of my photographic portfolio for the next couple of years :Whoa!::w3

[mikedewitt]

What an amazing capture! The colors are just fantastic...

As Dan noted, a little NR on the sky?

[Robert Amoruso]

Thanks guys.

Marc - the temptation was HUGE, but sanity prevailed as this is my self-drive safari destination of choice in my home country and actually affordable so getting my name on the blacklist here for an infringement like that would put a serious dent in the growth of my photographic portfolio for the next couple of years :Whoa!::w3


The right decision Morkel not violating the rules. I have walked away from lots of images over the years due to either my adherence to restrictions or not wanting to disturb a wild subject. It is the best decision.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Morkel, late to the party, but I love this as is. Very beautiful sky...I think you did quite well considering you could not exit your vehicle.

[Andrew Aveley]

Great light and snap here Morkel. Yeah , seen a few of those clowns in the past break the rules and hike up the dunes next to the road for a few view images.........one day them kitties will enjoy a snack :)