Sky Friday - A Reflected Sunset

Clouds and sky reflected in water seems to be a common theme for both photographers and painters, and it's a recurrent theme for me as well; here is another post from last November of the same subject.

On our drive back from Watch Hill on Tuesday, I asked Wayne if he wouldn't mind another two stops before we headed home, and he was happy to oblige.

The first stop is a rather good sized marsh that is in east Stonington, known as the Avalonia Land Conservancy nature preserve, and located right along the road.  There are many of these small nature preserves around the area where I live, which is a great thing to see; human encroachment is everywhere, it seems, and these preserves are as much a sanctuary for the local flora and fauna as they are for humans wishing a view unspoiled by man.

The sun was just dipping behind the trees along the edge of the marsh, producing soft light and shadows on the overhead clouds.  While most of the marsh is a wet bog, there are a few mini ponds of still water, offering abbreviated snippets of the sky above.

Reflections on Avalonia preserve

Both land and sky are reflected in the marsh

Closer to our house, towards Groton Long Point, was the second stop.  It's an area that I've been to on different occasions, and an image from the same location - Esker Pt. - is in the November blog post linked above.  It's a favorite area for kayakers to put in, and in fact, was the very first place that we went kayaking 2 years ago.  The Amtrak and commuter train runs right along the edge.  

By the time we arrived at Esker Pt., the sun was just setting right in the inlet notch between tree sets.  

Sun and Reflections at Esker Pt.

A few homes and small boat docks line the southern edge of this small cove.  A few scattered cumulus clouds remained in the sky, their pinks and purples intensifying in the fading light.

Sunset over the Docks

The colorful clouds and marina are emphasized in this shot

Reflections in Pink and Purple

The still water of the cove  reflects the clouds not seen in this southern view

Sunset colors in the clouds are most intense when viewed to the west, right at the location of the setting sun.  The northern latitude of New England is not enough to produce the brilliant reds, yellows and oranges of a southwestern sunset, but the skies do their best anyway.  

Sunset Symmetry

The land and clouds form a nearly perfect reflected image in the cove waters