Capturing the Perfect Sunset

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A Sunset in Patmos

A Sunset in Patmos

Throughout time sunsets have captured our attention as the last rays warm the colors in the sky. We take a breath, raise our cameras and tap the shutter. This moment captured defines some of the most peaceful time on a cruise, walks along the beach, or gazes across the Sea of Galilee.

So we wanted to share a few tips on how to capture the beauty of the sun slipping below the horizon.

  1. Keep an eye on the clouds. This is one time when a clear sky isn't needed. Clouds at different altitudes, different sizes and compositions will provide the perfect chance for the sun's rays to show a multitude of colors.
  2. Stay late. There's more to come. About 15 minutes after the sun sinks out of view, look up to the higher clouds where the last sunlight is reaching. You'll see pinks, purples, and oranges.
  3. Don't get distracted with the western horizon. Turn east to see light bounce off the eastern clouds.

Then there are the technical specs.

  1. Remember the Rule of Thirds. Think about your frame divided into vertical and horizontal thirds. Most cameras including ones on smartphones have a grid feature. Turn this on if you're unfamiliar with the Rule of Thirds. The horizon should run along the top of the lower third or the bottom of the top third depending on your preference and what you're shooting.
  2. Use a tripod to steady your camera. You can even find them for smartphones. Any motion your camera makes will increase blur.
  3. Then experiment with shutter speeds. A longer exposure will increase blur for anything moving like the water as your ship sails and increase the amount of light the camera captures. A shorter exposure will decrease blur and decrease the amount of light the camera captures.

So go ahead and shoot away and share your favorite image across your favorite social media network. Remember to tag your photo with #eotours.

Guest Speaker Featured for Peace Work

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Source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-the-risks-they-took-for-peace-in-northern-ireland-36136762.html

Source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-the-risks-they-took-for-peace-in-northern-ireland-36136762.html

Recently, the Belfast Telegraph featured Rev. Gary Mason, a guest speaker of numerous EO Tours, for his peace work in Ireland.

The article quotes Rev. Mason:

“I remember a wet November night, sitting with a guy from Tigers Bay. His wife was there and he was coming to his last breath. In the next bed, there was another man with his wife by his side, I think from the New Lodge, and we all got into conversation. I said, ‘It’s quite strange, isn’t it? The old Orange and Green aren’t too important now.’ And they both said, ‘You’re right, Gary’. So, it’s a balance of what is important and, hopefully, a meaningful pastoral approach helps people to see that the totality of life is not a piece of land.”
— Rev. Gary Mason

The article continues:

"Forging these relationships was often a matter of small steps, when opportunities arose. For example, the Rev Mason recalls a loyalist hurling a brick at a house on the Springfield Road and missing a young mother and her new baby by inches.

'I went over the see the girl and say sorry and tell her that I was glad her child wasn't injured, but, of course, people (on the loyalist side) were saying, 'They're doing that to us, as well'. And I said, 'I know, but my job is to stop both of you doing it, because it's wrong - no one wants a six-month-old kid getting hit by a rock'. Through that incident and conversation, that young girl ended up crossing the Springfield Road and coming to the cross-community parents' and toddlers' group we had set up, just because I had gone across and spoken to her. It was about relationships and both sides need to hear each other'."

Read the complete article, here.

You can also learn more about our dialogue series of tours that are designed to explore social conflicts and social justice and discuss attitudes and practices that can be applied at home.