My September 2025 Photo of the Month is LM950, another in my collection of storm images in our local Laguna Mountains.
I really don’t know what I would do without our local Laguna Mountains and scenic Sunrise Highway for visiting. September is generally our last gasp of favorable monsoon weather before the Autumn onset of our onshore flow, which generally brings marine layer, fog, and early morning clouds.
This was also a great time to get out after work, because there is still plenty of light after logging off. With plenty of overlooks and trailheads, heading to the Lagunas doesn’t necessarily require a plan in advance. Go where the light takes you.
In this particular image, a beautiful cloud sell has set up over Whale Peak, one of the major sentinels of the Southern part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This location at Kwaaymii Point can be quite striking (and windy) when the weather is favorable. Moments like this, when light and shadow strikes various portions of the landscape, are quite beautiful.
I also had a few other candidates for the Photo of the Month, from a couple other overlooks of one of my muses, Granite Mountain, but I decided I liked this image well enough to favor an area I don’t post quite as often about.
This wasn’t the greatest monsoon season in San Diego County, and those come and go. It is always nice to get out, experience a few storms, enjoy the weather and scenery, and make a few clicks.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the image.
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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.