A Picture Says A Thousand Words

Sunset in Namibia

The color contrast was the first thing that caught my eye. The colors were so vivid, and instead of slowly changing to the next shade, the radical color change amplified the drastic characteristics of the environment.

From the green in the leaves of the tree, which is what is in focus in the picture, my attention moves into the vibrant contrast of blues, purples, reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows as the image in the picture moves towards the horizon. A tree farther off in the distance and the ground are portrayed into a blackness, which makes the eyes of the viewer focus more on the intensity of the color change during the sunset portrayed in the picture. However, in the midst of the dark ground, I can see what could be a waterhole, which reflects more of the red and pink aspects of the sunset. This assures me that there is something within the darkness. Also, the clearing of the clouds, slightly above the dark tree, shows a gray sky above the vibrant clouds, which almost seems out of place in the moment captured.

It seems as though the sky is on fire, as though the intense heat of the day is being locked in by the cloud cover. The small opening in the clouds gives a sense of freedom, or a sense of coldness seeping through an opening in the burning sky. It seems like freedom because it would be an escape from the heat that the clouds portray because of the intensity of the color. Or coldness because of how the color of gray reminds me of ice, which makes this gray area seem like a place to get away from the heat.

The darkness that has engulfed the ground, and ultimately the tree, seems as though it is alive, and trying to reach the sky to consume the life out of it. The drastic change between the wary ground and the bright horizon separates the distinctiveness of the different color qualities in the picture. The dense darkness on the ground also gives a perception of the unknown, because I cannot completely make out what the ground looks like, or what could be lying on the ground.

From the location of where the picture was taken under the tree which is in focus, and by looking out towards the horizon, I can tell that the land is vast and relatively empty. Because of the darkness of the ground however, I cannot tell what the structure of the ground is like, though I can imagine that is flat, unpopulated and undeveloped. I do know, however, that there are trees, though very few, and that there is water, at least where the picture was taken.

At the horizon I can see several blurry images, an uneven horizon line where the darkness ends and touches the bright, yellow aspect of the sunset. The uneven bumps in the horizon could be animals off in the distance, herding into the unknown darkness of the night to find a place of safety. The bumps could also be other trees or bushes. Though this image gives the sense of emptiness, those few blurry images give the impression that there is more to the characteristics behind this image than I can see, and maybe the environment is not as empty as it seems from the uncluttered view I get from this picture.

The clouds are a deep and dark purple, almost black above the tree in focus. This helps to center the attention of the branches of the tree, and the color of the leaves, to add more character to the photograph. Next to the tree branches in focus is a tall, dark bush, which seems as