With some sunsets, you blink and you miss the whole thing. With others, they keep going on and on, their colours changing every few moments. Both are beautiful in their own right but with summer approaching, I really can’t wait for those vivid sunsets that make you thankful for being able to exist in that moment. This spring sunset feels almost like a sneak peak!
This was one of those days where just by looking at the clouds in the evening, I could tell we would have a brilliant sunset later on. Sometimes I’m wrong since Mother Nature has a mind of her own, but I really love being right!
When we got to my spot, we could see the clouds rolling in and in no time at all, the sky opened up and unleashed a downpour onto the city. I was super lucky as I was out taking photos just seconds before! I headed back to the car, closed the door, and was just stunned at how the rain pelted down seconds later while the wind really picked up. Since we were by a hill, we could see the wind moving the rain horizontally. For a second or two, the rain streaks on our windshield were all completely horizontal!
After the rainstorm and a few short videos of the rain later, the sky began to turn pink and then orange. Soon after, some of the clouds gained definition and turned red. It’s not the most intense sunset I’ve seen but I’m not one to turn a sunset opportunity down! I’m really happy I got to go out to capture this beautiful scene.
Another Toronto sunset. I had fun merging two images in the first photo to get an HDR edit. It’s definitely something I want to experiment with more in the future. I like having the option of having the skyline visible or shrouded in shadow, depending on what mood I’m going for. Here, I liked the way both turned out!
Another brilliant Toronto sunset. Sunsets like these near the end of winter feel like a light at the end of the tunnel. I personally don’t mind winter and I love the photographic opportunities, but by the end, it really starts to eat away at me. I look forward to the longer days and the sunsets at 8 or 9pm. We still have a little while longer to go but with vivid skies like these, the wait feels a little easier.
As a self proclaimed sunset chaser, I knew I had to go down to the pier and get some shots of the sunset while the lake was still frozen. Did we get that brilliant, the sky is on fire type of sunset? Sadly no, but in this case, I’m not picky at all. The reflection of the sky and sun in the frozen lake was just gorgeous. I feel like even the most “boring” types of sunsets would look stunning against this backdrop.
Born and raised in Toronto and somehow, I’ve never seen the lake frozen over. Granted it’s only frozen near the harbour and the ice is nowhere near thick enough to skate on (despite what some people are doing on Instagram…), but it’s still such a beautiful sight. I don’t even know what I was expecting to see when I went to visit Polson Pier in person but I was still blown away. When we visited, it was only my mom and I. It was such a nice day, and we were able to enjoy some sunlight and nature while enjoying the views of the city. She also enjoyed throwing some chunks of ice overboard. I almost wish I could visit every day just to soak in the sights before it inevitably all melts.
We visited Cherry Beach after and the whole beach was frozen over! Instead of sand, we were met with very slippery ice and huge chunks of it. Honestly, us Torontonians are so lucky to have places like these in our own backyard.
Not the first sunset of 2021, but the first one I’ve taken! The sky began to glow after I left my spot thinking nothing would happen. Luckily, I was still able to find a place to get some photos of the red and pink sky.
Just my luck that when I am able to venture out in hopes of a sunset, I’m greeted with a scene like this. It couldn’t be more of a rejection from Mother Nature. The Toronto skyline really does look so very different without the CN Tower and with so many skyscrapers being covered by fog. To a Torontonian, scenes like this always look like something from out of a dream.
The last intense sunset of summer. It was such a joy watching the sky go from a light wash of orange to just something totally brilliant. And even then, the clouds changed from a vivid orange to a stunning red/purple/pink.
It won’t be the last sunset of the year but I honestly can’t believe summer is already over. With the world’s current state of affairs, the year is moving by so quick. Pretty soon, 2021 will be upon us.
Gina Staios Photography 