Looking for the perfect sunset

I walk into the nearby dunes this late-summer evening to enjoy the sunset. I love having this area all to myself; most of the visitors on the island have left, and even in the height of the tourist season, they hardly ever show up in these dunes.

It's quiet, and I notice that there aren't many animals; the drought has driven the Shetland and Exmoor ponies and the Scottish Highland cattle to the few remaining lakes that still contain freshwater. But then I spot a deer; they get more active around sunset. It briefly stops upon spotting me before it runs away. A few more catch a glimpse of me from some bushes, but they are too far to film or photograph.

These inland dunes are usually greener than the coastal dunes on the other side of the forest, but grey and brown are now the dominant colors during this drought. Spectacular colors in the evening sky compensate for those dull hues on the ground. I take photos and then climb the dunes to get a better view. This way, I see several sunsets since I can climb the dunes faster than the setting sun.

I realize that my effort to climb the highest dune is minor compared to the sunlight that travels for eight minutes at the speed of light from the sun's surface to this island's dunes and ultimately to the retina of my eyes. Since it is evening, the light beams travel through a thicker layer of the atmosphere than in the daytime. The blue light of day is now scattering away from my eyes, allowing me to enjoy more orange and red light still passing through. The clouds reflect the sun's brilliant colors and take on the red and orange hues of its setting.

At the highest dune, I take a moment to shoot a 40-second video by following the horizon and slowly turning around to capture all directions. I grab a memory of this moment, one to go back to when I am spending the cold winter months far away on another continent. And one to share with friends and followers worldwide.

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The Back Page

A sunset memory from five years ago: this was also close to home, but in those days, that meant close to my home in Södermalm in Stockholm, Sweden. I lived about five minutes walking from this spot and often went there to watch the sunset. If you are ever in Stockholm, make sure to go here at the end of the day: Monteliusvägen.