La Jolla Cove
Nature sets a beautiful scene at La Jolla Cove
Nature sets a beautiful scene at La Jolla Cove
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Jun, 2014Views
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Legendary Award
Great Shot
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Exceptional Contrast
Jaw Dropping
Magnificent Capture
Great Find
Peer Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in La Jolla, California. It's a place called La Jolla Cove, and is a popular destination for not only tourists, but for numerous sea lions, gulls, and brow pelicans (which you can spot if you look closely at the image).Time
I had been taking images all afternoon of the brown pelicans, sea lions, gulls, and other landscapes. I'd anticipated a decent sunset due to the weather conditions -- it had been very overcast (and actually still was to the east), but begun to break up over the western horizon -- so I decided I stay and see what happened. You never know whether the conditions will be right or not, and I totally got lucky. The rays streaming through the clouds only lasted a few minutes, but I managed to hike to the top of the cove in time to catch it. I took a lot of other photos this day that I really love, but this is absolutely my favorite.Lighting
I was really looking to capture an uncommonly interesting San Diego sunset. They're often gorgeous, but I was hoping for something different during my visit. I couldn't have predicted that conditions would be right for crepuscular rays, but for me it was what drew me to this series of shots over the others. I remember there's another shot with a more dramatic ocean, a bigger crash on the rocks, but the rays just draw me in every time I see this one.Equipment
Shot with my Canon 5D MK II, 1 24mm-105mm L, locked off on a Manfrotto tripod with trigger-grip ball head.Inspiration
I'm always so inspired by natural beauty. I absolutely love doing studio work, but capturing the dynamic outdoors is so special. La Jolla is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I knew that patience there is rewarded so I kept at it all afternoon. This day I managed to shoot some gorgeous wildlife and other landscapes, but I chose to shoot here specifically in the hopes of getting lucky with the sunset.Editing
Post processing was fairly minimal. I added some clarity to the suns rays and ocean ripples. I opted not to correct the spill that washed to ocean orange in places because I thought it made the photo unique. I lifted slightly the exposure below the horizon to bring out some of the detail of the cove and observation tower.In my camera bag
Generally my bag has my 24mm-105mm L & my 70mm-200 USM II L for this kind of work. Sometimes I'll opt for a wider lens for landscapes but when traveling light, the 24mm-105mm has served me very well. I also carry some spare batteries, cards, and microfiber cloth. I stress microfiber cleaning cloth when shooting near the ocean as there's often a fine mist in the air that starts to cloud images if you're not vigilant. And it goes without saying that if you're shooting near salt water you don't want the front element of your lens exposed to those conditions. Usually, I have a Manfrotto tripod with me but sometimes it's a Gorilla pod.Feedback
If you're looking to capture something like this, the biggest element is patience. They say that luck is the confluence of preparation and opportunity, so I suggest shooting as much as possible and getting great at exposing for sunsets in a way that gives you maximum latitude for any adjustment you want to make in post. Sunsets can be tricky, so shooting a lot of them is key; eventually, you'll get lucky!
