burnt embers

Yesterday I stood in a strong cold wind for an hour waiting for the light to fall on Pebble Beach on the east shore of Harling Point. I thought it might help to satisfy my unhappiness with pictures I have taken here before. The light was coming across the water from Trial Island in brilliant patches against a dark sea and dark sky. Before I had my shot set up, the light hit the beach just as I wanted it to, encouraging me to stick around for the next hole in the clouds to pinpoint the beach with light. I put a polarizing filter on the camera so I could keep the sea dark and then waited, increasingly cold in spite of a wool shirt and heavily lined wool jacket. Of course, the beacon of light never happened where I needed it to.

However, one hole in the clouds did scud over above my head, revealing a higher layer of cloud and the elusive blue sky. I just had time for four pictures, this is the best of them, but they all worked pretty well, thanks in part to the polarizing filter bringing out the blue and darkening the clouds. I left the morning’s vigil, cold handed, but happier with this unplanned bonus than ever I would have been with the shot I was aiming for. Surprises can be very satisfying!

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