Winter Colours

From First Light To Last Light, On The Same Day

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Even in winter, with the late sunrise and early sunset, the Australian skies are still a stunning pallete for artists and photographers alike. At the height of summer, there is enough light in the sky at 5.30 in the morning to take a landscape photograph and the sun only sets around 9pm. Things are a bit different now, in our first week of winter. The sun rises at 7.30and sets just after 5pm.

The first photograph in this post was shot while I stood on a platform at Richmond station. Let me put things in perspective here - I don't have to change trains at Richmond, but if there's a great sky, I get off one train, take some quick shots and then get another train.

And here's a confession. About a week ago, I sat in a train, gritting my teeth while the sky produced a wonderful mix of pastels and bright hues. I seriously considered getting off the train at the next station, sprinting down to the end of the platform, taking some quick shots and then getting back into another carriage. I didn't do it, mainly because the train was fairly crowded, but there is a distinct possibility that this could happen in the very near future.


On the day that I took the shots published with this post, I was captivated by the wisps of gold in the clear sky while I waited at Richmond. In case you're wondering, the prominent advertising billboard just left-of-centre is for Pelaco, a clothing business established in 1906. If you look really carefully, you'll even see the small but distinctive silhouette of a hot-air balloon in the bottom right-hand corner.

These early-morning frames were shot in a five-minute span, and you can see the perceptible changes in the light. Later that evening, I had just got off my train when I noticed a sudden burst of colour in the sky.

There was heavy cloud around, but that in itself is often a great boon because the cloud reflects a wide range of colours in the moments immediately after the sun has set.

So there you have it - a wide range of colours and a perfect encapsulation of an Australian winter day - gold and yellow at the start of the morning and azure, pink and purple at the end of it.

For other participants in Dot’s concept, go to Sky Watch Friday.