What Exactly is Alpenglow?

Published: Fri, 03/16/18

Hi ,

I wanted to share with you a blog post I wrote yesterday about Alpenglow. Many photographers know alpenglow to be the magical pink light we see on the mountains during sunrise and sunset.

But what exactly is Alpenglow? The common perception is that it's a form of indirect light, which scatters and refracts through the atmosphere when the sun is just below the horizon.

However, I'm not sure sure this is accurate.

In my article, Challenging The Traditional Definition of Alpenglow, I explore the science and lore of this optical phenomenon, and I share my own hypothesis as to why I think that Alpenglow is actually a form of direct light.

And, of course, I show you lots of pretty pink mountain photos.

Given that Alpenglow is the ultimate magical light treasure that so many of us chase as outdoor photographers, I think this is a pretty interesting topic.

I hope you enjoy the article. Feel free to comment on the post and share your ideas, or perhaps a particularly memorable experience you've had with Alpenglow. I welcome your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Dan Bailey

dan@danbaileyphoto.com