Right after sunset

 I have recently forgotten just how remarkable my camera’s fill flash can be when capturing scenes in historic Charleston just after sunset.  It’s a magical time when the fading light of the afternoon merges in a boundary area with the more complete darkness of night.   The flash illumines the buildings and trees where I take pictures, and highlights and accentuates those areas where light shines in windows or on porches or from street lamps.   It’s a time of day that is really quite unique and lasts only a very short time.   A few minutes later and it’s too dark to get good pictures.  

So I have taken to getting out for a a half hour or so, not only take sunset pictures at The Battery overlooking Charleston Harbor, but also to walk along some of the historic streets taking pictures of the graceful homes and architecture.  Always just before dark, the lighting is a good combination of natural and manmade.   The effect is really nice.  Besides all this, I can still hear the soothing sound of the crickets and other insects, a fleeting sound indeed as the approaching cold weather will silence them until Spring.