Tag Archives: green flash

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Green flashes are photographable  mirages. While you can see one at sunrise, I'm told, here on the Mendonoma coast most of us watch for a green flash as sunset. Over the years, coast photographers have captured green flashes. I thought I'd share some with you today.

Here is a photo taken by Don Spear. The green flash only lasts for a brief moment. If you blink, you will miss it!

Jim Grant's photo shows a double green flash. When I look at Jim's photo in full screen, I can see he also captured a green flash morphing into a blue flash, which you will see in Allen's photo below.

And here Rich Kuehn has photographed the classic green flash just beginning. The setting sun appears to narrow, becoming hour-glass shaped. What happens next is the top part appears to pinch off and it becomes a vibrant green flash.

On very rare occasions you might see a green flash morph into a blue flash, as photographed by Allen Vinson.

And the rarest of all was photographed by Ron LeValley - a green flash, no, a blue flash, no a violet flash!

Thanks to Don, Jim, Rich, Allen and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here. If you are interesting in purchasing Ron's photo, as Rick and I did, you can find it on Ron's website at this link:

http://levalleyphoto.com/home/

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When the fog is chased away by on-shore breezes, the horizon is clear at sunset. That's when you look for a green flash. Eric Zetterholm recently photographed one.

Legend says to see a green flash it sure to bring you good luck.

Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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This photo was taken by photographer Jim Grant from Sunset Cliffs in San Diego. While it wasn't taken from the Mendonoma coast, it is such a special photo that I wanted to share it with you here.

Jim's photo shows multiple green flashes, and even shows the elusive blue/violet on the edges, which we rarely get to see. Congratulations, Jim, on capturing such a beautiful sight. And thank you for allowing me to share it here.

To see much more of Jim's nature photography, here is the link to his website: https://jimgrant.smugmug.com/

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Anne Mary Schaefer captured a small green flash while at Manchester Beach a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful sunset too.

I love how the colors are reflected in the water glistening on the sand.

Thanks to Anne Mary for allowing me to share her photo with you here. Anne Mary is also a talented pet photographer. You can see her work at this link: http://www.pawpawrazzipetphotography.com/

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It is said that to see a green flash will bring you good luck. So I hope that if you on the Mendonoma coast, you will take the time to watch the sunset. A green flash sometimes appears at the moment the sun is disappearing from view. This first photo was taken by Peter Cracknell. Note the emerald-green color and note the clear horizon.

The green flash is a photographable mirage, caused by light refraction. Here is a photo by Richard Kuehn showing the classic hour-glass, where the top of the sun seems to pinch off from the bottom. You can see a green flash at the top of the hour-glass. But there might have been a bigger green flash a moment after Rich took this photo.

If you are extremely lucky, a green flash will morph into a blue flash. This photo was taken by Allen Vinson and it also has hints of purple on the edges - it's very rare to get a photo of this.

Allen also captured this green flash. Look! There are two green flashes in his photo.

Allen always celebrates his green flash viewing with a green flash cocktail. Very civilized, Allen!

If you interested in learning the mechanics of a green flash, here is an article that might help: http://aty.sdsu.edu/explain/explain.html

I'll be watching the sunset tonight. How about you?

Thanks to Peter, Rich and Allen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.