I usually take 3 types of pictures on my phone.

1. Pictures of my family
2. Pictures to use later as reference photos
3. Sunrises and sunsets

First, of course, is pictures of family. No matter where I’m at, if my kids or other family members are there and we’re doing something fun, something a bit dangerous, or something work related, I will snap a quick picture, just to document the occasion.

Second, I love taking pictures of things that catch my eye that I think might be fun to paint. Many of these pictures are deleted later, but my daughter who is a photographer takes thousands of pictures just to get a few hundred good ones for her clients. So, I feel like taking hundreds of random pictures of things I like to get just a couple of good reference photos is perfect.

I love sunsets and sunrises. I find myself amazed and awed by the beauty at these times of day, and I love how God created these beautiful skies for us to enjoy everyday, regardless of where we live.

I mostly see these beautiful skies either in Alaska (most of the time), or in Southern Utah when I come to visit. I have noticed a huge difference in the colors of these sunsets and sunrises.

Alaska, especially in the darker months, has very pastel colored sunrises, and usually quite pastel colored sunsets, although once in a while we do get very brightly colored sunsets if there’s clouds. I love how the pastel colors carry over into the snow covered mountains making them a soft pink in the highlights and purple in the shadows.

Alaska sunrises and sunsets also last a very long time. Usually going from a brighter pastel to a more muted pastel over the course of an hour or more in the morning, and the reversed in the evening. In the winter in Willow, the sun sets around 3:30 and lasts till around 4:30. the beautiful colors of sunrise start about 8:30 or 9:00 and the sun comes up about 10:00.

Utah sunrises and sets are quite different. If you want to see either, you need to be in place on time because they last about 10 minutes on either end. Sunrise is not usually as spectacular as sunset, but maybe I’m just not up early enough to see them (I’m on vacation after all!).

But the sunsets here in the high mountain desert are absolutely beautiful. The colors are much more vibrant than we get in Alaska, and there are more colors. Depending on the atmospheric conditions, clouds vs clear skies, dusty or calm, the colors will vary from deep dark purple gray’s to vibrant pinks, reds, and oranges.

Each is beautiful in it’s own right. I do find that no matter where I’m at, Utah, Alaska, or somewhere in between, I always enjoy these two times of day, and the variety and beauty that is painted across the sky. No matter where you’re at, big city, out in the country, or in the middle of nowhere, there is beauty, especially during sunrise and sunset.