A dark filter allowed me to make a 90-second exposure during a bright sunset. The fog was streaking by in a very dramatic way so I want to show the motion.
The second in the series. A low tide at sunset during the winter time is the only time when this view can be seen. Usually this is underwater and large waves pass through submerging this place under 5-10 feet of water. I've been waiting a long time to capture this scene.
The Pacifica Pier is a great place to watch a sunset. Even on a clear day, there is often a bit of fog here making for dramatic sunsets while elsewhere it is just another bland sunset with blue skies.
This is the view just before I made "The Monolith at Grey Whale Cove 1 and 2." A low tide at sunset during the winter time is the only time when this view can be seen. Usually this is underwater and large waves pass through submerging this place under 5-10 feet of water. I've been waiting a long time to capture this scene.
A low tide at sunset during the winter time is the only time when this view can be seen. Usually this is underwater and large waves pass through submerging this place under 5-10 feet of water. I've been waiting a long time to capture this scene.
This beach is about 10 minutes south of Pacifica. It is an easy drive and a less-easy place to approach. It is surrounded by cliffs and the parking lot is across busy highway 1. Fortunately there is a nice set of stairs which provide a nice workout on the way back up with no danger whatsoever. The soft golden granite sand is perfect for walking and photographing too. Here is a view down the beach looking south as low fog slides under a brilliant red sunset in the high clouds.
A big pacific storm churned up the ocean at Grey Whale Cove, into a sea of spray and mist, just as the sun was setting. Here the surf pounded the beach with surges of water covering this very spot up to 10 feet deepevery 10 minutes or so!
This is one of many rocky outcrops along this stretch of beach just north of Santa Cruz, California. I often wonder how long this rock has been pounded by long-forgotton storms over the millenia. I waited for the light to strike the cliffs and for a nice wave (not too big or small) to strike the rock.
San Gregorio beach is a great place to watch the sunset. This was taken as the first storm of the season caused the water in the river to breach the sand dunes and flow to the sea. Bubbles of sea foam made a line in the sand as the last light came through the fog.
Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz is a great place to watch the sunset. This is one of the few remaining arches, as the
other ones have been washed into the sea. New ones will replace them as the years go by. The tip of the Monterey Peninsula and
the start of the Big Sur coast 40 miles away are shown in the middle of the arch.
In order to show this arch in the best light, I had to wait until November for the setting sun to be at the best angle to show the
detail on the arch face. I also wanted some cloud cover, which becomes more common as the 7 month summer dry season comes
to a close at this time of year. I used a long exposure to smooth the water, highlighting the arch and distant coastline. And I
timed it for when the sand was at its most reflective state at low tide.
This little beach about 20 minutes south of Half Moon Bay is quite scenic. The Tafoni sandstone formations on either side of the beach are surreal, the surf is big, and the sand is golden. Here, I chose this vantage point to catch some light on the rocks and in the surging water just as it overwhelms my spot.
A big pacific storm churned up the ocean into a sea of spray and mist, just as the sun was setting. Here the waves have settled down a bit giving this scene a peaceful feeling. At other moments, it was anything but peaceful as the surf pounded the beach with surges of water covering this very spot up to 10 feet deep!
The sunset was turning a brilliant Red during high tide at (the other) Pebble Beach, south of Half Moon Bay. Then a bank of fog moved in to turn this scene into what a seascape may have looked like hundreds of millions of years ago. Or, possibly on some alien world, this is a common sight! Actually it is just alternating layers of red and blue tufoni sandstone.