Summer Solstice

Summer will begin on June 21st in the northern hemisphere. Known as the Summer Solstice, it is the longest day of the year. While we won’t see the midnight sun here on the equator, the sun do set quite late into the evening this time of the year.

A few days ago, I saw the sky still aglow at around 7:45pm as I approached the DUKE Eastbound toll plaza. Since I was the passenger, I rolled the window down to shoot. The lens was misted up a bit by the sudden change in temperature. I wiped the condensation and was lucky to get a partial clear spot.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 2000, f3.5, 1/500 sec.

Summer Solstice

The Twilight Zone

As darkness sets in, strangling plants emerge from the fine white sand to surround an unsuspecting family. The secluded beach is known as Bagan Lalang or Weed’s Landing.

“There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone”  – Rod Serling.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f4, 1/15 sec.

 The Twilight Zone

And I Keep Wondering Who’s Holding The Sun Now

The sun sets in the West but at a different spot, depending on the time of the year. From the same vantage point, I observed it going down to ‘camera left’ of the Petronas Twin Towers a few weeks ago. To oversimplify; the cyclical deviation is due to the tilt in the earth’s axis of rotation.

When in the city, you may want to juxtapose the setting sun against a landmark or the skyline. Depending on your distance to the foreground object or building, a little or a lot of walking may be required. The fine-tuning can make a big visual impact.

The title of the post  is inspired by a forgotten song I heard on the radio as I was driving home. Who’s Holding Donna Now – a 1985 hit single by DeBarge. Wonder no more.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f11, 1/4000 sec.

Who's Holding The Sun Now