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With its big skies and west facing aspect, the West Shore beach at Llandudno on the North Wales coast is a great place to watch a sunset from.
But while I enjoy watching a lovely sunset, it's what happens in the half hour or so after the sun has dipped below the horizon that really gets my photographic juices flowing.
Depending on the cloud cover, which is constantly changing in this part of the world, you can see and photograph some truly beautiful lighting effects as the undersides of the overhead clouds catch the last, super warm rays of the departing sun.
Add to that a beach which is covered and then exposed again twice a day by the huge tidal range enjoyed on the North Wales coast and you've got a recipe for some stunning sights.
This image gives an idea of what's on offer here on the West Shore, with an ebbing tide exposing rocks and pools in the sand while overhead those clouds are catching faint wisps of orange and magenta light.
The light show is always transitory, lasting only a few minutes from start to finish, after which the scene turns to the cool blue and grey tones of night.
But for those few minutes you're transported to a wonderland of visual delight.
Try it for yourself one evening at the coast!
Filename - llandudno west shore dusk 01.jpg
Camera - Canon 6D
Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 28mm
Exposure - 30 secs @ f8, ISO200
Filters - 6 stop neutral density filter used to prolong exposure time and blur waves. Two stop neutral density graduated filter used to balance the exposure between the sky and land.
Location - Llandudno West Shore, North Wales
This image - 800x533px JPEG
Conversion - Adobe Lightroom
Comments - Tripod, mirror lockup and cable release used to prevent camera movement.
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