On Capturing a Sunset

So I went and took these pictures two days ago with the intent of uploading them to my blog that evening.  Unfortunately, my computer had other ideas and decided to start it's death throes (it's over eight years old now) just after posting the post with my weekly shots.  After some emergency CPR (which included cramming all my pictures and documents on another device) my computer is running just fine, thankfully.

So now the sunset shots.  They're tricky ones to catch, and the north-east to south-west alignment of the island doesn't help me in the least.  I intended to make the drive down to the western end of the island but ended up not having the time to get all the way there and still have any sunlight left.  So I went down to good ol' Horseshoe in the hopes that winter was well enough on its way for the sun to be sinking very south.  As is (will be?  Should I refer to your viewing of the pictures in the future or present...?) evident from the pictures, the sun just barely cleared the island from my vantage point, but even so I had to climb out further than I originally intended (also, never ever ever climb near vertical climbs with a camera and tripod on your back and a motorcycle helmet in your hands).  Also I'm pretty sure I was the subject of a few "What is this idiot doing?" shots by the few tourists around.  Trust me I was fine...the cliffs are very deceptive in how they look...

Moving on.  The actual shots themselves.  One thing that really is annoying about taking pictures of sunsets is how fast they disappear.  You really don't have much time to get your settings right to get the perfect shot, which is the main reason I've yet to get that ever elusive perfect shot.  Also, getting the picture so it is appropriately light, yet with a clearly defined sun (rather than just a mass of light) is also a tricky process, compounded by the short window of time to take the shot.  Not to mention personal taste...art is what you want it to be...so if you like your sunsets dark, make 'em dark...but I think there is a line to be drawn. ;-)  Compare, for example, the two following images.  Taken just seconds apart, these are basically my extremes in lightness and darkness.  Which do you prefer?  I personally like to err on the side of too dark, but the water and rocks in the first one are too dark, whereas I find the sky in the second one far too light.

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