My April 2017 Photo Of The Month is Ponder The Beyond, an image made in Sunset Cliffs Natural Park here in San Diego.
Ponder The Beyond Background
The last week in April had spectacular light all week. Light and high clouds were present each afternoon, making for beautiful color each evening. This is something to savor. As many of you know, May and June are known as “May Gray” and “June Gloom.” The onshore flow marine layer makes for foggy mornings along the coast, and the clouds start coming back in right at sunset.
In making this image, I pondered the idea of standing on that small outcropping, looking out over the sea, imagining the expanse and totality beyond what we can see. From a practical standpoint, we know the size of the Pacific Ocean, and we can easily see the size on any map. Only when you stand at the precipice do you really imagine how the size and scope is so much more than one person can experience.
Most neutral density filters tend to have a blue bias. This can be a huge problem in many images. Those require post-processing to correct for color. In this image, I absolutely didn’t mind the blue bias. I wanted more blue, especially in the ocean. The Pacific Ocean, pushed by the Alaskan current, tends to be dark and featureless. In this case, I was able to use a perceived shortcoming in equipment to make something I really enjoyed creating. This image is dark, but very peaceful and calming.
I would like to thank my good friend and photographic colleague, Alex Kunz, for the inspiration and idea to review my work each month and find my best work. I encourage my other friends to do the same.
Further Viewing
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.