The Southern California coast is famous for the amazing coastal sunsets over the Pacific Ocean.  This angler decided to watch the sunset while fishing.  Read more to see how this photograph came to be.

Coastal Southern California

Coastal California is home to the world famous Pacific Ocean.  One of the sleepy little beach towns here is Encintas, CA.  This area is home to Moonlight Beach.  It is a really famous surfing spot, but is also known as a great place to catch a big beautiful Southern California sunset.

Behind The Scenes

This image, titled “Fishing At Sunset” was taken in the fall of 2017.  The photograph was taken on the North side of Moonlight Beach.  This is a great place to walk along the beach, watch surfers catch wave after wave, or take in a sunset.

I headed out to the beach, because the clouds were forming like they were going to produce an outstanding canvas for the day’s sunset.  Mother nature did not disappoint in the formation of this sunset. 

The rocks seemed like a great foreground to take in the spectacle, and are a reminder that you should always but something interesting in the foreground of a sunset photograph to keep it interesting.  Right as the sun was getting ready to set the fisherman showed up.  This added a human element in the image and really added to the scene.  Sometimes it is pure luck to have a person set up in the frame and add an extra element to an image.  It has happened to me a few times where I set up for a sunset and end up having someone step into the frame right at sunset and make the photo more interesting.  This is a bonus, but if they don’t work, be patient and hope they move or edit them out of the image.

Photographing sunsets is a challenge.  It is important to capture the color and sky, and also have an interesting foreground to keep the viewer interested in the image.  There are usually deep shadows and expansive highlights.  Therefore, I usually use a polarizing filter with a split graduated filter, and most importantly find something interesting in the image other than just the sunset.

Thank you for visiting my site, and I hope you enjoy the image.

This photograph is in my shop Fishing At Sunset.

photo sunset beach ocean purple pink clouds and sky

As I was setting up this shot everything was lining up up great until the fisherman came over and got in the frame right at sunset. Little did he know how it would add a great human element to balance the ocean, nature, scenery event unfolding.

The Trip

Trips to the beach are also always fun.  There is something magical about spending time on the coast and watching the sunset.  Moonlight Beach is a great place to visit and photograph.  There are lots of places to see at the beach.  Additionally, Encintas is just down the street with lots of good places to grab a snack or just hang out.

Taking a camera to the beach is also really tricky.  Therefore, if you are going to take your camera, there are some things to remember: 

  • The salt water is very bad for a camera and lens.  Therefore, make sure to keep your camera protected.
  • If you are out photographing the beaches of SoCal it is easy to lose track of time and get a sunburn.  As a result, it is important to always take sunscreen with you.
  • Keep your gear safe by keeping it out of the sand.
  • Store a towel in your vehicle to wipe down your gear before you pack it into your car.  This will get the sand and salt off your gear as quickly as possible.  As a result, you won’t have to do it as soon as you get back to the house.

If you like sunsets, then don’t miss my my behind the scenes of Couple Watching Warm Setting Sun.

More Fine Art Photographs

Don’t forget to look at the images on my site in the galleries starting at: https://mjvphoto.com/the-art/.  Hopefully you find some of them inspirational for your own photography adventures, or maybe you find an image you want to call your own.