Stairway to Heavenly Sunset View ... (enhanced lighting, for your viewing pleasure and your safety) ChiangMai, Thailand – GoldenHour Photography

The simple yet beautiful lighting scheme on these steps not only enhances the view, it improves our experience on the whole.

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No human intervention needed

The beauty of a sunset is often enhanced by nature – by some clouds, by reflections off a body of water, by a few dark silhouettes on the horizon. And anything humans might do to improve the scene will probably ruin it. Nature can manage well without us, and nature is usually very beautiful without us. 

Enhanced by humans

This viewing platform is on the rooftop of a large, well-lit mall in Chiang Mai. The designers could have placed overhead lights on the platform or on the steps leading to it, but that would surely have ruined the view. On the other hand, this soft lighting not only enhances the view, it improves our experience on the whole.    

As darkness descends over the viewing platform, these dim yet clear lights provide a subtle but effective illumination. While the lights allow for a safer climb and descent of the steps, in no way do they diminish the magnificence of the goldenhour view. (Notice the silhouettes of the other sunset-viewers standing mid-way up the steps. That gives a clear impression of the ethereal environment created by the clever lighting scheme.) Location – Maya Mall, Chiang Mai, on Google Maps

This is my entry in @juliank’s GoldenHour Photography contest.