Catching a stunning sunset at The Oasis
I finally got these shots after all these years!
this is how it ended - it started great and just got better! don't you love it when that happens?
If you live in or near Austin, you know about The Oasis. It's a restaurant perched high over Lake Travis and it bills itself as "the sunset capital of Texas". That may sound like hyperbole, but I will admit it's a pretty great place for one (though my personal favorite sunset spot in Austin is still overlooking the Loop 360 Bridge).
I have been here so many times over the years that I'm not sure I could ever count them up. That's all good, except for one thing: I had never gotten to shoot sunset here. It was an elusive thing for me. It just never worked out.
Frustrating.
this was obviously before the sunset got super colorful - still, I was very happy at this moment because I love that sky!
a wide view showing the back deck at The Oasis prior to the sun dipping over the horizon
Every photographer in Austin - and I really mean EVERY SINGLE ONE - has a sunset shot from The Oasis. I think it's a requirement as soon as you start taking photos - go shoot sunset at The Oasis. It's almost a cliche nowadays. I must have missed that memo though, because I only finally accomplished this last week! Yeah, I'm a little slow sometimes.
I've been shooting and blogging here on this site for over 6 years now, and despite a lot of travel, I have thousands and thousands of photos I have taken here in Austin, because I still make an effort to get out and shoot here. I mean, it's my hometown, I should have a ton of them, right? In fact, if you want to see my favorite spots in Austin, you can find that list right here.
looking out over lake travis as sunset starts to get beautiful...
and just a few moments later as the light continued to get better
But sadly, this one had eluded me. Either I was there for lunch (which was mostly what has happened over the years), or I was elsewhere at sunset, or not even out shooting at all. Either way, I finally ended the dry spell, and ticked this one off the list of spots I just had to go shoot. And it feels damn good to do so. I hate having something on my list for what seems like an eternity!
And how was I rewarded? Pretty well, I have to say. We were out on that side of town already, and I had brought my gear "just in case" the light looked good and the timing worked out. You never can tell, but the clouds had been interesting all day, and of course I am ever the optimist when it comes to this stuff. So I hoped for a decent sunset. At least something decent enough that I could publish the photos and feel good about them. I wasn't expecting THIS though.
a vertical view of The Oasis just before sunset
a vertical view of the oasis just after sunset - what color that evening!
We arrived here with a little time to spare before sunset, and since it was a weekday, there was literally no one here. It was awesome, actually. There is a perfect balcony above and off to the side of the restaurant, so I went straight up there, set up, and started firing away. I was the only one there. Did I mention that yet? :-)
After capturing so many images (a fraction of which you see here today), I decided to wander around the restaurant and get a couple of different angles from the front of the restaurant. I love to shoot architecture, so I always look at buildings, lines, and all that stuff. It just interests me.
Then of course the sky just kept getting more and more intense, and I found myself back up on that balcony firing away, and smiling at my luck after all these years. I think I ran the last 50 yards or so because you know how quickly the light can fade. I couldn't stand missing something more - despite having already captured so much - especially after all these years of waiting.
sunset behind the oasis restaurant on lake travis - austin, tx
a wide view of the oasis restaurant during a stunning sunset
