ABALONE COVE

ISO 100, f/20, 4 Seconds, 26mm

  Spent the last week in Cypress, CA doing some training for work. I always love going to the west coast. The beaches are very different from the ones on the east coast (not that I don't love the beaches on the east coast, I do). Rocky beaches, tall ocean cliffs, dark sand, there's just something different about the California Coast.
  When I found out I was traveling to the Los Angeles area I contacted one of my new friends on Google+ by the name of Mark Esguerra. He helps curate a weekly photography theme on Google+ called Thirsty Thursdays. Anything with water in the shot. My kinda theme.
  I asked Mark if he would be interested in getting together and shooting one evening while I was there. We met at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park in Palos Verdes, CA. Mark and another photographer friend, Rob Lopes, met me and my colleague, Devin Hensley, at the park with hopes that we were going to get some long exposures of the sunset with the rocky surf and possibly some tide pools.
  Abalone Cove did not disappoint us. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn't cooperate. Instead of an epic sunset we were treated to complete grey cloud cover. Zero color. We waited patiently for some light but nothing ever happened.
  All was not lost, though. Even though we didn't get the epic sunset, the beach, rocks, and surf were there for us to photograph. I placed the variable Neutral Density Filter on the lens and combined with the overcast conditions, made for some great long exposure effects.
  After shooting the large rocks & surf, I found these two lonely guys off to the side. I positioned my tripod and camera low to get the rocks large in the foreground and took a few shots. What I found is that the effect of the water going back away from the shore was a more pleasing effect than when it came crashing onto it. With this particular shot, a 4 second exposure caught a little of both but the recession of the water back into the ocean was the dominate effect.
  The lighter color of the rocks against the dark brown sand contrast well against the white water surf and the sand formed two curves that conveniently led from each of the foreground corners to the rocks.
  Really appreciate Mark and Rob taking the time out to shoot with us. They were great fellas and a lot of fun to hang around. Maybe next time Mother Nature will cooperate.