It’s hard to believe that even an Ordinary Sunset in SoCal La Jolla is amazing to watch.  La Jolla, CA produces some of the best coastal sunsets around.  Read more to see how this photograph came to be.

La Jolla Coastal Southern California

La Jolla has some beautiful SoCal coastline.  It is famous for it’s high end shopping, beaches, and sunsets.  Therefore, this stretch of coast is also outstanding for taking photographs of those sunsets.

Behind The Scenes

This image, titled “Ordinary Sunset In SoCal” was taken in the spring of 2014.  The photograph was taken just South of the Children’s Pool Beach.  This is the famous area where people can see all harbor seals and sea lions lounging on the beach or on the rocks.

When I headed out to the beach, the clouds were forming as if there would be a big SoCal Sunset, but that turned ordinary as the sun went down.  While I was heading back to the studio after taking the image, all I could think about was the disappointment I had that the sunset ended up not being big, bright, and painted with many colors.  I really thought the images I had taken were not going to be spectacular in any way.  Therefore, I was not excited to look at them at all.

Once I looked at the images I realized just how spoiled I had become.  I took for granted all the beauty that was around me daily, and only and was only focused the extraordinary instead of the real beauty all around me.  The name Ordinary Sunset in SoCal was a reminder to me to never take nature for granted again.

Photographing sunsets can be challenging.  It is important to not only capture the color and sky, but also have an interesting foreground to keep the viewer looking at the image.  There are usually deep shadows and expansive highlights.  Therefore, I usually use a polarizing filter with a split graduated filter.  I’ve also found that keeping some texture to the water provides a good balance of motion while still showing the power of the waves in the ocean.

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

This photograph is in my shop HERE.

photo sunset deep blue sky bright yellow reflecting off clouds ordinary sunset SoCal La Jolla

This was just another day in SoCal (La Jolla Sunset). I was lucky enough to catch the clouds and take advantage of the amazing lighting to capture the motion of the waves without completely blurring them out.

The Trip

As with all my adventurers to La Jolla, it is nearly impossible not to have a great experience.  La Jolla is a great place to visit and photograph.  The Pacific Ocean is on full display, as well as wildlife like birds, and seals.  It is also a great place to walk around art galleries and grab a bite to to eat so enjoy your trip.

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.