I think this may defeat the whole purpose of the Chasing Sunsets tour, but I can't decide if I want to reveal the exact location of the next spot or not. It's true. Besides the complete gorgeousness of the skyline at night here, the thing I love most about this spot is its absolute lack of people. It's not a secret place by any means, it is the top of a parking garage downtown, but every time I've been there, there have been one or two people there at most. On this particular evening, there was one other couple there and they left soon after I arrived.
It is quiet. It is peaceful. You can be still and hear the hum of the city in the distance. Every once in a while a car will pass beneath you, or you may hear a siren somewhere, but by and large - this spot is extremely tranquil to me. It's hard to believe it's downtown.
The view in the top post is looking slightly southwest. So while the buildings themselves aren't actually backlit by the setting sun, you do catch the reflections of the sides of the buildings. You also have a wide open view of the western sky. If you happen to be here on a night where we have a spectacular sunset, you are going to be in for a treat.
This wasn't the first time I had been to this spot, but I usually come to take in the city at night. Anyone who follows my Facebook page will know how much I love a good nighttime shot. There is something so pretty about a city at night. But on this trip, I came specifically to check out the sunset.
This is not a far drive for me, so when we hopped in the car at the last minute to head downtown, I was beyond excited about how the sky was shaping up. The perfect mix of clouds and light made for a promising delivery. It's always a gamble on what the light in the sky is going to decide to do, but on this evening, it was one that paid off.
In fact, when we hit the new downtown ramp heading into the city, the sun was positioning itself on the horizon between the buildings. When I'm chasing down a sunset and see this shaping up, I'm beside myself with giddiness. I snapped the shot to the right directly through my dirty car windshield. Nothing technically perfect, but I enjoyed that view nonetheless.
Sometimes people hear me talk how much I love watching light change and I'm pretty sure they think I'm off my rocker. But it's true. If you've ever paid attention, you know that the light in the sky changes radically in the last hour before sunset. The sky can (and usually does) look extremely different in increments of just a few minutes at a time. I think these photos capture some of that.
We stuck around until well after dark because I love this spot so much. It is an excellent place to set up a tripod and patiently wait...just soaking up the warm evening breeze and the gorgeous sight of the Columbus skyline. And yes, in case you haven't guessed, this is definitely one of my favorite spots! It's not at all crowded; it's free; it's beautiful; and it has an open view westward. Yep. I think if you can't tell from the photos and want to know where on this one, I'll let you message me or leave a note in the comments below. :)