Picture of the Day - June 30, 2009

"Sunset at Second Beach"

Photo courtesy of Winston Rockwell.             (Click on the photo for a larger view) Today's picture by master photographer Winston Rockwell features a very colorful sunset captured on the Pacific coast of Washington State. Here is his story behind the image: "The coast of Washington State has 2 distinct regions... the central and southern coast, which is characterized by broad, flat - and frankly, boring - sandy beaches, and the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula. Much of the northern coast is either National Park land or owned by local Indian tribes such as the Quileute, Makah and Hoh. For this reason, many spectacular beaches have limited access, and are often not easy to get to. One such spot is Second Beach, located about half a mile south of the Quileute Indian fishing town of La Push. It's one of the most photogenic of Washington's beaches, accessible via a 3/4 mile trail which is just steep enough to keep many casual tourists and beachcombers at bay. As a result, it is largely unspoiled, and retains the stunning natural beauty the Creator intended for it. I went to Second Beach on a day trip, just for the sunset. The weather forecast was promising, and when I got there, aside from some haze, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Normally, that makes for rather uninteresting sunsets, and this evening was no exception. The sun went down with little drama, save for offering an interesting view of the orange orb through the "hole in the wall" in the rocks. I shared the beach with 3 other photographers who busily snapped shots of the sun peeking through the hole, but as soon as it disappeared, so did they. Their loss; as is usually the case, the colors in the sky are at their best 20 to 30 minutes after the sun actually disappears. I stayed behind, alone on the beach, watching and photographing the incredible colors of nature's palette as the last light of day faded into night - sights like this are why I photograph nature, not weddings, babies or street scenes! Then, flashlight in hand, I hiked back up to the car and drove 4 hours home... ah, the things a photographer will do for a picture! This image was captured with a Canon 5D and Tamron SP24-135 lens at 39mm, .6 second exposure at f/13. A tripod and remote shutter release were used."   --Winston "Rocky" Rockwell Visit www.northwestnaturalimagery.com to check out more of Winston Rockwell's amazing images.     Visitor Comments... Name: Ed Morrison Town: Dunwoody, GA Absolutely gorgeous colors Mr. Rockwell. Your work never ceases to amaze me.     Name: Phyllis Helton Town: Bristol, VA Well worth every minute of your time and effort.     Name: Ron Trees Town: Spokane, WA Sensational photo Rocky!! I am glad that you stayed on the beach as it really paid off. This one is a wall hanger.     Name: Robert Schwarztrauber Town: Buffalo, NY What a great sunset photograph by Mr. Rockwell. And a great tip on waiting 20 to 30 minutes more after the sun disappears! Thank you for sharing your expertise in pixels and in print.   Comment on today's picture  |  View previous "Pictures Of The Day"  |  Submit a photo Why I publish the "Picture Of The Day"