Blue domes in the golden sunset

The three blue domes of St. Spyridon in Oia are among the most photographed views on the island of Santorini, alongside the windmill or the volcanic island of Nea Kameni. And it really is as beautiful there as many pictures suggest. Around the church, there are several photographically attractive locations and hotspots for selfies and social media posts, as well as exclusive locations for professional photographers, e.g. for Flying Dress Portraits. Especially in the late afternoon and at sunset, many visitors queue up for their own picture, which fortunately changes abruptly after sunset.

As with the shots at sunrise, from the diametrically opposite perspective, I benefited during my stay from the lower sun in autumn and the associated, more southerly position of the sunset over the horizon. On this day, it was exactly behind the church with its striking domes.

A little later, the light changes with an incomparably nuanced colour gradient from the warm gold of the evening to the cool blue of the beginning of the night. A sense of cheerful serenity set in.

A few metres further up, from the Church of St. John the Baptist, I enjoyed the wide panorama of the brightly lit houses on the crater rim above the now dark sea. I felt deep gratitude and joy at the opportunity to experience such an impressive evening on Santorini once again upon returning after almost 30 years.