Shoreline Highway

• Albert Einstein.

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California’s northern coast is one of my favorite places to visit. Even with such huge metropolises to the south, this part of the state still feels untouched and primordial. We have had many trips up the coast, stopping at tiny parking lots and accessing some amazing hidden beaches. On one such trip to the North coast, we came across the Greenwood Creek state beach, a relatively small beach with a couple of massive sea stacks just off the coast. There is a nice hiking trail providing you with a beautiful view of the cove and the Gunderson Rock sea stack.

Usually, the water in this bay is so clear you can see the brilliant green color. We visited on a summer evening, so I had to keep an eye on the Marine layer coming in from the ocean. From previous experiences I have had at the coast, I knew the summer fog would ruin any chance of a sunset shot. But thankfully, the fog layer was so thick it diffused the sunlight giving the whole scene a lovely ethereal feel. I delayed taking the image as much as possible, but the wind started to pick up, and waves started to muddy the waters. I didn’t end up getting that perfect clear water photo, but I feel lucky to get this image with gorgeous light and some of the massive natural forces that make the coast of California special.

• Henry Miller.

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The first ever trip I took to the California coast was in winter, but you could have very easily mistaken it for late spring elsewhere in the eastern seaboard. We drove lazily down to Los ageless from Santa Cruz and saw spectacular cliffs and amazing blue green waters and beautiful coves. In my naivety, I dreamed about coming back in summer and shooting amazing landscape shots and later enjoying the beach. Little did I realize what was waiting when I returned later that year, the ocean was cold and grey just like the sky and all the great vistas look drab and dull as the sun get blocked out by thick fog.

So when we visited the Mendocino coast this summer I was hoping and praying for a fogless few days but as usual we didn’t had any such luck. But what I noticed was that the fog was staying in late in the morning as the mountains and trees blocked the sun till well into noon and the evening fog was coming in just around sunset time. So the trick was to get to your location about 2 hours before sunset and you will get wonderfully diffused light due to the thin layer of fog.

While I was taking this shot the light was absolutely gorgeous and I was really happy with the warm tones on the cliffs and cold tones of the ocean. But when I saw it on the computer it looked like focus was off at first glance, something highly unlikely as I usually shoot at f8. But on closer inspection it seemed as if the thin layer of fog was causing the slightly softer look and I loved how the sunlight plays on the rocky cliffs.