I’ve mentioned this several times before on this publication’s pages, and I’ll say it again: Smartphone cameras are perfect for those who enjoy documenting the world around them but can’t be bothered with cameras that have all sorts of settings requiring adjustment. They also are perfect for those who would be up shit’s creek trying to figure out how to use such cameras. I am a member of both categories.
Not surprisingly, then, I began snapping away pretty regularly soon after obtaining my first smartphone in late 2015. All you need to do is aim, touch the screen briefly here and there to adjust for distance and brightness if you so desire, and then press the big button. Voila! Mission accomplished. Easy as f*cking pie.
I’ve put hundreds of the photos I’ve taken to good use, placing them in Yeah, Another Blogger stories. And a fair number of those hundreds are sunset scenes, nearly all of them drawn from vacations my wife Sandy and I have enjoyed on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.
Well, despite the fact that cyberspace currently contains several trillion sunset images, I’m never the least bit reluctant to add more of them to the unimaginable glut. I mean, it’s not as though somebody is going to sue me if I do. Right? On second thought, I damn well could be wrong about that. Whatever, I’m willing to take my chances. Away we go!
Cape Cod sunsets, when viewed from Cape Cod Bay, are magnificent when the atmospheric conditions are favorable, for there are no obstructions to hinder your view. Obstructions, however, are a given just about everywhere in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is where I reside, and in Philadelphia itself. I haven’t been to Cape Cod or anywhere else with wide-open, west-facing views so far this year. Nevertheless, two sunsets in my region brought me up short.
In July one evening, walking to our car after eating and drinking in a pub in the village of Jenkintown, which is a few miles from our suburban town, I asked Sandy to stop for a moment, as I’d just noticed a pale orange tinge to the mostly hidden lower sky. The hue looked absolutely fine in the disappearing daylight, set off as it was by houses, overhead utility wires, parked cars, foliage and scattered clouds.
And so, confronted with a view I deemed worth remembering, I yanked my iPhone out of my pants pocket. Ten seconds later the deed was done. The photo is one of my favorites among the many I’ve taken to-date in 2024. There’s a sense of peace and stability in it. But wait . . . somewhere off in the distance I can hear my doctor talking to me: “Neil, you’re old as dirt, unfortunately,” he’s saying. “If you have any sense left at all, you’ll stare at this photo a lot. Doing so will lower your blood pressure and might extend your life a little bit.”
Thanks, Doc. Will do!
(August 2024)
And in late August I became indebted to the phone once again. On the way back to our car after dining in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, a small section of a sunset, smiling coyly, presented itself to me and Sandy on Jefferson Street. Overall, the scene was denser and more complicated than its Jenkintown counterpart. There was more going on than I could comfortably absorb and process.
My iPhone came to the rescue, taking in the entire display and freezing it at 7:56 pm. The resultant photo pretty much blows my mind. It’s an exhilarating jumble of shapes and lighting effects. Every time I examine this picture I notice something I hadn’t before. I love it. Hold on a second, though . . . my doctor is speaking to me again: “Neil, the Philadelphia photo is an absolute blood pressure raiser. It’s too intense for a geezer like you. Stop staring at it!”
Sorry, Doc. No can do!
Yeah, Another Blogger 
I’m a big fan of sunset photos – I’ve posted my share of them, too – and I love these, Neil! You’re right, the er ind deserves a lot of scrutiny. Cheers.
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* “… the second one deserves a lot …
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Beautiful photos! I may be a country gal, but I still appeciate a more urban scene, and these are lovely.
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Thanks, Denise. My smartphone didn’t let me down!
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I think that humans are programmed to enjoy sunsets (and sunrises) a lot.
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Smartphones take amazing photos. Like you, I’ve got no interest in things that are more complicated at this stage in life. After all, who am I trying to impress?
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Smartphones have so many capabilities. They are totally amazing.
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I like the second one best–sunset in the distance and lights coming on in the buildings. People out for the evening, etc. A slice of urban life.
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I guess the second one is my favorite too. It’s pretty atmospheric.
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I always love your photos. You have an eye for good ones. We have a western view that can heat us up in the summer but we never tire of the sunsets.
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Hi. Good sunset are true spectacles. They never get old.
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Our best photographs are those that do not conform to stereotypical “greeting card” type pictures. Serendipity is a major factor of beautiful photography.
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We’re fortunate when serendipity is part of our lives fairly regularly.
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The thing is, Neil – it’s what YOU like. . . The times I’ve seen a lovely white dove/seagull/pigeon resting on a fence which turned out to be a plastic bag, are unbelievable! True – but back to your photographs, they at least show part of a sunset, so why not! Cheers.
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Hi there, Joy. Suburban and urban sunsets, under the right circumstances, or if you’re in the right frame of mind, can be impressive.
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Thank you, Neil, for lowering my blood pressure with your funny musing and beautiful sunsets, both! And do advise your imaginary doctor that real blood pressure lowerer is Mozart music!
Joanna
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I mentioned to my doctor what you said. He agrees with you!
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Clever man! But you should know this, Neil, if you read properly my post “Mozart’s Starling” as I quote the medical findings.
Joanna
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The act of watching the sun go down can be a calming and awe-inspiring experience that can help you feel more relaxed, present, and content. It’s also a great way to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Howdy, Aiva. Another good thing about sunsets is that they are free of charge!
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I always enjoy your photos. Try taking photos of the moon. We have had unbelievable moons. Keep up your photography.
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You’re right — I should pay more attention to the Moon than I do. The Moon is absolutely amazing.
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yes those are calm inducing and beautiful. Thanks for sharing them all! Sunset pics are always appreciated!
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There’s always room for more sunset pix!
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Doc needs to mind his own darnn business. 😉 Excellent photos. It’s amazing what camera phones can do. One of the reasons I bought my phone was because its camera has 50 megapixels.
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Phones just keep on getting better and better. They have almost unlimited capabilities.
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I obviously need a new smartphone. Nice pics.
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My phone probably has a middle-of-the-road camera. But I’m happy with it overall.
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Love that Fishtown picture!
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Sam, we had eaten at Wm. Mulherin’s, in Fishtown, and were on our way back to the car. We had a Margarita pizza at Mulherin’s, and it was incredibly good. One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.
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Just keep looking from one to the other and the blood pressure will sort itself…..doctors, who needs them…
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I’m going to take your advice!
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I like your comment about finding things in photos that you hadn’t noticed before. For example, in the first photo — would it have been as compelling without that one loop of wire hanging from the power lines? I don’t think so. It provides a certain balance and symmetry. Great shot!
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You have a great eye, Paula. I hadn’t even noticed that.
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This is what I love about your blog–you are unfilteredly (my word, not copyrighted) hilarious–“despite the fact that cyberspace currently contains several trillion sunset images” Ha!
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Hi Jacqui. Between Facebook and Instagram and all the other sites, the number of sunset photos must be totally astronomical.
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I love the places that, with little or no effort, an absorbing sunset is capable of carrying us off to. Thanks for reminding us of that.
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You’re right. Sunsets can be awe-inspiring.
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No too sunsets are alike so there can never be too many sunset pictures.
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Sunsets can be Nature at its best, that’s for sure.
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That Fishtown photo is fantastic with the ambient street-level lighting and shadows on the buildings.
I have a sunrise photo taken on my favorite beach eleven years ago that I pull up fairly often. Something about it makes me feel both happy and melancholy.
Thanks for sharing these photos, mate.
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Hi. Sunsets and sunrises are amazing phenomena. They are true spectacles. Who is this, by the way? — you’re listed as Anonymous.
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I particularly like your second sunset. And I also belong to both categories in your first para!
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Yeah, some people love complicated cameras. You and I, however, have a different outlook on that.
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I notice no mention of sunrise photos. Perhaps those would mollify your doctor. Someone formerly of your area claimed that being an early riser made one healthy (not to mention wealthy and wise). I think a few sunrise shots should buy you enough of a margin to look more at that lovely second photo.
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I would never argue with Benjamin Franklin. He was a highly remarkable individual.
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I read a piece in Times of London recently that said us baby boomers (I just sneak into that category) are actually the masters of tech because we’ve had to adjust to so many adjustments in our lifetime compared with those youngsters.
That apart, great pics – my fave is the first one, which looks like an album cover to me! Like you, I’m an inveterate sunset snapper – I may share a few of my own in a post some time. One thing that’s so great about mobile phone cameras is their immediacy: sunsets can change so quickly!
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Hi Andrew. I forget the name of the high point in Edinburgh (it’s at the opposite end of High Street from the castle). Sunsets from up there must be amazing.
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There’s a number of good vantage points in the city for sunsets. Calton Hill is one of the best of them.
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I like ’em both, BP be damned!
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Thanks. I was having trouble coming up with something to write about. But those two photos came to the rescue.
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The Smartphone camera works just fine for me, too, Neil 🙂 Your photos of the urban sunset remind us to look up and enjoy the moment. Well done! Tell your doctor to buzz off.
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I was surprised to catch a glimpse of that sunset. In the city, sunsets normally aren’t anything you think about or seek out.
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They’re both fantastic moments captured for leisurely perusal. The doctors overthinking it 😊
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Yeah, my doctor should have kept his opinions to himself.
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Love the photos, Neil. I never tire of seeing sunset pictures. Never are they the same. Each is special in its own way.
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You’re right. And sometimes what initially appears to be a bland sunset all of a sudden turns into a fantastic sunset.
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enjoyed the photos, Neil and the descriptions esp ‘the sunset smiling coyly’ ; your doc needs to take it down a notch or two 🙂
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To tell you the truth, I didn’t appreciate his butting in to my essay.
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Lol; I’m with you there, Neil 🙂
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Love the photos, Neil.
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I’m likewise a devotee of smartphone sunset captures.
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Smartphones are smarter than smart. They are remarkable.
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I ought to learn a bit about how to use my smartphone’s camera. I have used it occasionally, but usually to send a pic of some bit of work to an out of town customer. Useful, but not nearly so pleasing as your sunsets!
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Hi Linda. Phone cameras are so handy. And easy to use. Definitely great inventions.
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I love the Fishtown one too! It’s quirky and unusual.
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Hi. That photo came out nicely. I didn’t edit it or adjust it in any way.
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Beautiful photos, I know our iPhones can do so much more than to talk with, but unless I take a class I will never figure them out. 🤣
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Evening, Diane. I’m not addicted to my phone. But I guess I’m semi-addicted!
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Sunsets are better than vitamins!
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Hi there. They are definitely healthful. Is this Jan? — you’re listed as Anonymous.
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Nah, doc. Every sunrise, sunset, or cloud photo lowers the blood pressure. Keep the phone aimed skyward!
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Hi Fran (you’re listed as Anonymous, by the way). My phone is ready!
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You can’t beat a photo in the gloaming. The colours are just about perfect! Well done, Mel
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“Gloaming” is a beautiful word. I hadn’t heard it in quite a while. I might try to work it into one of my stories one day. Take care. Neil
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I join you in your admiration of the sunsets and, though I rarely photograph them, I am most certainly in the camera rather than the ‘phone group.
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Your camera is really good. With it, you take great photos of your garden and other gardens.
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I think there is something in our DNA that compels us to watch the beauty of a sunset ( or sunrise) There is also something that compels us to whip out our smart phones and take photos. A beautiful sunset reminds us to take a moment, stop and breathe.
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Hi. I agree —. Sunsets/sunrises draw us in. They are magnetic. They can be major spectacles.
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Ironically, I find the first photo comforting not for the sunset, but for the symmetry of the telephone wires, coupled with the positioning of the stop sign right on the line of the center pole. Nice composition! We passed through West Chester a couple of weeks ago southeast of the downtown. Beautiful area.
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Hi Dave. West Chester is only about 35 or 40 miles from my house. I’ve never been there!
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What nice spontaneous captivations, Neil. I sense a deep romantic appreciation in your heart. We’re not spontaneous on this end. We use lots of camera filters.😊
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You’re more technologically advanced than me!
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Photographically speaking… maybe yes. I hope you’re having a cool, hydrated week Neil.🕶️⛱️
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They’re both great! The first is breathtaking–even virtually. The second looks more like a museum-quality painting. And the act of taking them surely has the added benefit of stimulating your cranial neurons. Have at it! Thanks.
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Hey there, Annie. One good thing about those two photos is that they gave me something to construct a story around (I was in need of a story idea).
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One can never look at too many sunsets (or photos thereof). Each one is different and despite their being priceless, can be enjoyed by everybody for absolutely free. That’s pretty mind-boggling in its own right.
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They are amazing spectacles. Do you have good views of sunsets in your town?
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They certainly are. And we often have breathtaking sunsets that illuminate the entire Front Range (located on the west, i.e. sunset side).
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Wonderful shot 👍
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I’m a member of the comfortable with fancy cameras and all their settings club, but the reality is the best camera is one you have with you.
Sunsets are always great. Wish I’d see more of them.
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You do fine work with your cameras, as your WordPress articles show.
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Love that Fishtown photo, so many colorful light reflections.
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Fishtown was a pretty obscure part of the city till about 20 years ago. Then it got discovered by people in their 20s and 30s. It’s a hip area now. Lots of restaurants, etc.
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Sounds nice, bringing new life to an older area.
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I agree that the photo has a sense of peace and stability plus the colors are lovely. You took a great shot.
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I got lucky!
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I like your description of the “sunset smiling coyly.”
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Hi, and thanks. Urban sunsets are usually quite obstructed. But the partial views can look good, nonetheless.
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Your sunset photos are wonderful, and very evocative. I love my phone camera! I have a proper camera, too, but I tend to use my phone more as the photos are often just as good, and it’s much easier (and lighter!) to carry around.
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Hi. Phone cameras, inevitably, will keep getting better and better.Overall, smartphones are incredible. Thanks for adding your thoughts. Have a good upcoming week!
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Yeah yeah, the sunset pics are nice. But let’s talk more and see some pics about that pub in Jenkintown! 😉 – Marty
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Hey there, Marty. The pub is called Kings Corner. My wife and I like it a lot. Food is good. Staff is friendly. They have 20 or more beers on tap. And the outdoor dining area looks great, because they painted big beautiful flowers on the fence that separates the pub from the adjoining property.
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I think everyone–okay, nearly everyone–loves a great sunset, whether in real life or via photos. The two you selected here are particularly nice, but I have to confess a real leaning toward the Fishtown pic. It’s archetypal of all that makes roaming the streets in the early evening in summer so wonderful and soothing. Thanks for sharing!
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Absolutely. City streets take on a different look and a different feel when daylight is fading fast. There’s something very alluring about that.
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We had a fantastic deep orange sunset the other night. I tried to capture a picture, but my old phone’s camera couldn’t remotely do it justice. Your pics are lovely. Love the funny ending. 🙂
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Hi Betsy. Great sunsets sure are hard to beat. I think that humans are genetically programmed to be captivated by them.
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Agreed! And sunrises. I’ll never forget one I saw over the mountains about ten years ago. Breathtaking.
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