Santee Lakes Overlook December 20

Santee Lakes Overlook December 20, 2015

I made this Santee Lakes Overlook December 20 image while celebrating the holidays with my daughter.  She gave me about five minutes to head out my front door and make this image at sunset.

It is privilege to live next-door to the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve.  The Mast Blvd. bridge over Lake 2 is always an excellent location to photograph a good sunset when clouds are available.

I have also considered building this photograph into more of a panorama (I usually do traditional 6×17 aspect ratios).  I love the oxygen pump at the bottom right, which adds negative space and another visual element to the image.  In the end, I decided this composition is what I wanted.

This is not a portfolio image.  But I think it is important to shoot even on days where everything is not perfect.  Learning from imperfect situations, compositions, and lighting, especially in landscape photography, will pay itself back when all of the elements are perfect.

Naming images is not my greatest strength.  Plus, living next-door, I photograph from this bridge about 50 times a year, so naming the image with the date will have to do.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the image!

tmschultze

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.