Ron Shoots

The really good travel shooters (not me) always know ahead of time where to find the best sunset or sunrise images. There’s great spots around the world, and every photographer should put a few of these sunset or sunrise locations on their list. Whether at Oia on Santorini in the Greek Islands, Haleakala Crater on Maui, or Uluru in Australia, you’ll find a mass gathering of people and cameras . In the case of Uluru, finding a good spot isn’t hard- there’s a parking lot for at least 200 cars and a big sign that says “Sunset Car Park” here! Every evening, a ritual of travelers, digital cameras, and tailgate wine & cheese parties unfold in the middle of the Australian desert.

Finding a place to shoot from isn’t difficult- the parking lot is perfectly aligned to allow a great uninterrupted view. I’m in the midst of at least 300 other travelers viewing the same spectacular sunset. More than anything, I’m fascinated by the number of digital cameras- everyone has one, some are set up with tripods, others are on the rooftop of their serious-looking 4 wheel drive. And I’m only at the car park area- buses have to park in a separate lot and there’s another 200 on top of the sand dune.

This sounds sorta dumb, or at least obvious, but photography is such an important part of all our lives. As a commercial shooter, I’m privileged to be able to integrate photography into virtually every day of my life. Those of us, as commercial shooters, also have a great responsibility to treat images and our subjects with respect, and to pass along our knowledge so that others can have the same enjoyment.