Like a Shiny Coin!

  You often hear about the sun slipping down the horizon or slipping down behind the trees but never "slipping through the clouds".  I suppose this would be impossible on the most part since that big ball of fire is a bit too far away to slip through any clouds that we can see.  Still, while on the pier the other evening, the sun seemed to be doing just that. From what we could see, the sun looked a lot like a bright shiny coin being slipped down through a slot in the dark clouds.  Even the rounded top of the orb could be seen above the "front" clouds.

  In reality, the sun is not passing through the clouds at all.  This "phenomenon" is due to the camera settings and not the sun.  Most cameras cannot handle the brightness of the sun so it appears flat and any thing that is transparent enough to let a lot of light through sort of fades into that brightness.  It makes the cloud appear behind the sun.  Other clouds (those that are lower or are more dense) seem to stay in front of the sun by blocking out the light.  While this is not a camera "trick" like forced perspective, it is purely due to the camera and lighting.

  Even though my wonderful view of the sun slipping through the clouds was a bit deceiving, it was fun to observe.  Watching the sunsets and sunrises on the Bayou give me a bit of peaceful time.  In the mornings, I plan the day while watching the sun rise above the pines. In the evening, I reflect and unwind before retiring for the evening as I watch the sun slip "through" the clouds.