Mike Patterson
July 2026 - Kayakers at Sunset
About the Image(s)
I captured this image sitting along a shoreline in the San Juan Islands of Northwest Washington. I spotted them slowly paddling several hundred yards off the shore. As they paddled, the sun got lower and lower on the horizon. I kept hoping that they would be in exactly the right spot to capture them as a backlit subject as the sun dropped behind them. The timing was perfect! The clouds were especially turbulent on this evening, presenting a powerful depiction of the heavens. I liked having the kayakers in the image as they gave the photo a specific focal point of interest.
Shot with a Canon R5, hand-held with a 24-105mm lens at 105, f/8.0, ISO800 and 1/1600 second. Routine light adjustments in Lightroom.
6 comments posted
This is a very peaceful image, gives out that relaxing evening vibe. The golden glow on the water is beautiful. However, I find the overall color a bit over-saturated for me, especially in the sky. I wonder also if placing the kayakers slightly off center to the right would make the image a bit more dynamic, just my two cents. Posted: 07/03/2026 03:42:51
Mike, you captured the "golden hour" light beautifully. The orange palette and the silhouettes of the two kayakers make this a potentially excellent image.
That said, I think the composition breaks a couple of classic compositional guidelines. First, the horizon is placed almost exactly in the middle of the frame, making it unclear whether the emphasis should be on the water or the clouds. Second, as Spring pointed out, the kayakers are positioned right in the center of the image. Placing them according to the rule of thirds would probably create a stronger and more engaging composition.
best wishes
Michele Posted: 07/03/2026 10:28:47
That said, I think the composition breaks a couple of classic compositional guidelines. First, the horizon is placed almost exactly in the middle of the frame, making it unclear whether the emphasis should be on the water or the clouds. Second, as Spring pointed out, the kayakers are positioned right in the center of the image. Placing them according to the rule of thirds would probably create a stronger and more engaging composition.
best wishes
Michele Posted: 07/03/2026 10:28:47
This is a beautiful golden hour image with a cinematic feeling. The silhouette of the kayakers against the saturated and textured sky gives the landscape a sense of scale. The layers with the glowing water as the foreground, the distant hills as the mid-ground, and the fiery sky as the background create excellent depth, while the golden reflection acts like a visual pathway leading directly to the kayakers. I agree with the others that the horizon sits almost dead center and a crop that focus on either the sky or the water might make it stronger. Posted: 07/08/2026 04:15:19
Gorgeous image, Mike! I tried cropping a little off the right side, but I didn't like it. Then I tried cropping some of the sky, and that didn't work either. This image is perfect exactly the way it is! Posted: 07/08/2026 11:48:07
Super shot. The crop is open to interpretation and I decided I would try about 1/3 off the bottom below the kayakers. If you do this however you need to place the kayakers off centre to balance it. The other option is to leave it as is, it's a lovely capture. Posted: 07/08/2026 14:43:31
This is a striking image with a strong emotional atmosphere. The combination of dramatic clouds, golden reflections, and the silhouetted kayakers creates a scene that feels both peaceful and powerful. Love it. Posted: 07/09/2026 01:09:12