Above: from the archives, a particularly moody August sunset from 2009, over Navy Channel, in the Southern Gulf Islands of the British Columbia coast.

Several days in a row this week, the sunsets have been very special. All warm shades, with a little contrast for good measure.

Above, that was on April 18, to the right of the horizon. Golden mellow.

At the same time, all the cool shades were gathered on the left of the horizon…

I started taking pictures of sunsets from my perch on this island right from the get-go. Here is why:

That photo is from December 2005, early days of digital cameras.  The pixels are little “rough”, but they do convey the magical quality of the light, and bright colours at sundown. That boat was in a hurry to get home before dark…

But let me show you a few more examples from various seasons, to give you an idea of the range of colours and cloud patterns involved.

One evening, that was the sight: the sky on fire above Pender Island’s forest.

The sky show can be spectacular. I love the light on the water, above.

And clouds can create some truly dramatic effects.

I did mention that I love the sunset reflection in the water. Here is my shot of that liquid gold, rippling after a boat went through the sound.

And there are bonus points if you can observe the sunset from a high vantage point, on a cloudy evening. Big payoff!

I leave you with this “sunset blues” version. Play some Mozart at sunset, it suits the mood.