Surf City Sunset

We have just returned from a short but wonderful visit to Southern California, where we visited with our son’s family. We have developed a tradition of spending one night at the beach before heading over to see the family. This time it was Huntington Beach with its majestic waves and ever present surfers. We got there just in time for sunset and had a great time walking around- people-watching and soaking in the ocean views and sunset.

This is the Huntington Beach pier, which I have photographed many times- and that’s Ruby’s Diner at the end. I reduced clarity in post-processing to enhance the dreamy mood.

Unfortunately, I took so many photos I managed to wear out my shoulder again- when will I ever learn? My favorite way to shoot is to walk around with my (heavy) camera on my cross body strap- constantly bringing it up to my eye and snapping. I think it’s the repetitive motion (and the weight of the camera)that causes the pain.  The next day, I just used my iPhone camera. This whole issue is weighing on my mind; I am definitely not ready to give up my big camera (or go to a lighter mirrorless camera), but am considering only using my iPhone for street/beach photography and camera on tripod for scenes like these. I hate having physical issues get in the way of doing what I love, so I am determined to find a work-around!

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Crazy Beautiful

The light, the clouds, the sky! We had a crazy beautiful sunset last night!

It was the golden light that we noticed first. Lonnie was calling me to come out just as I was running around the house looking for my camera (I know, I know I should always keep it one place, but I had been on the phone with Matt and taking pumpkin photos at the same time- I can’t multi-task). When I found it, I ran (hobbled fast) outside and saw the CLOUDS! There was one of our magnificent red sunsets going on behind the house, but it was the golden clouds out front that took my breath away!

Nothing beats Arizona’s Big Sky (sorry, Montana!)!

 

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Something’s Coming

Could be?
Who knows?
There’s something due any day
I will know, right away
Soon as it shows
It may come cannonballing down through the sky
Gleam in its eye 
Bright as rose
Who knows?
It’s only just out of reach
Down the block, on the beach
Under a tree
I got a feeling there’s a miracle due
Gonna come true, comin’ to me

– from West Side Story

I used to know all the songs from West Side Story by heart as a young teenager, so I guess it’s no surprise that this is the song that popped in my head when I spotted this gigantic cloud looming over the hills as we made our way into Augie’s restaurant last weekend.

Something’s comin’, something good
If I can wait
Something’s comin’
I don’t know what it is
But it is gonna be great!

 

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Familiar

Does this scene look familiar to you?

That’s right- it’s the Carquinez Bridge as photographed from the Benicia waterfront! After our trip to Alaska last month, we were in the SF Bay Area for two days on business. I had a wonderful reunion with some of my teacher friends, and then came back later for sunset photography.  The Benicia waterfront was one of my favorite photography haunts from the beginning of my photography journey, and I miss it! I know I was shooting some of the scenes I have shot many, many times- but couldn’t help myself.

Here is a different take on a familiar view- the sunset and bridge shot through the waterfront fence.

I’ve moved to Arizona and love it, but I still miss my friends and the beautiful Benicia waterfront.

 

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Sunset and Smoke

A little impression of our sunset view last night- smoke and pink sky. Multiple exposure layered with a view of the moon from the other direction and an added texture. The fire continues to grow as I write this. We are far enough away to feel safe, but it is scary how fast it is growing.

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Snowplow at Sunset

Arizona sunsets are amazing!

You can see the Thumb Butte ahead with our hill to the right (our house is off camera).

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Photography notes:  Unfortunately I only had my iPhone with me to capture this (and the snowplow was waiting for us to move, I think)- and I haven’t learned enough about iPhoneography to know how to capture the dynamic range of this scene. I would automatically bracket this scene on my big camera- and could have done it with the phone camera if I knew my controls better (on my to-do list. . .). I edited it on the computer, but I can’t help wondering what it would have looked like taken with my Nikon!

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Sunset Moon

I didn’t know the moon would be full last night, but when I sat down to wait for the rice to finish cooking for dinner, I could see the moon through the front window. I wish I had been there to see it pop up over the horizon, but I am delighted to have captured the moon at sunset.

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Brrrr!

I think all my Alaska photos should be titled Brrrr– it was cold. We didn’t spend a lot of time outside, but I did accompany Justin and Caitlin- and Penny, the golden retriever, on a quick walk at the Eagle River Nature Center, at the Chugach State Park. I saw a very different scene from my visit in August!

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That’s ice on the trees; the only snow was on the mountains. I think this photo was taken around three- thirty.

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Ruby’s on the Pier

While we were in Newport Beach, we would walk every day over to Balboa Pier, and on our first day we split a chocolate- banana milkshake at Ruby’s- yum! I said I wanted to come back in the evening and get a shot with it lit up, so the next night I brought my tripod along as we walked over at sunset. Our son, Matt was with us, and wasn’t too enthusiastic about me setting up my tripod on the pier just to take a photo of the diner. I wanted to wait until it got darker, but ended up snapping my shot right after the sun went down. No, we didn’t have dinner there. 😦  But Matt did agree it made a good photo when he saw the edited version. 🙂

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Beachiness

We have just returned from a quick trip to Southern California to visit our son. We walked on the beach with him at sunset, and I grabbed this quick shot when I saw silhouettes against the orange sky. I think the fellow on the far right might be taking a selfie!

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