Although 2020 will be remembered as the year of the face mask, I had the fortune of capturing the beauty of many people without masks. I was also able to explore many new locations from Half Moon Bay on the peninsula, to Pacific Grove on the south end of Monterey Bay. That’s a pretty amazing stretch of coastline. In this week’s blog I will recap my 4 favorite portrait shots of the year and tell you why I think they deserve top billing. Let’s dive in.
I was aware of this well ahead of the Dec 21, 2020 conjunction and prepared. Now, how does a photographer prepare for something like this? You have to think about what gear you have. I knew I didn’t have a lens that was long enough to show me Jupiter and it’s moons along with the rings of Saturn and its moons, so getting a very tight shot of them wasn’t in the cards. So I had to think wider.
The bluff tops became an integral part of my life. My dad’s house was (in currently is) less than a quarter mile from the ocean so I walked and biked those bluffs all the time. I knew the trails better than the back of my hand (which I know extremely well). I guess it makes sense that my first published photo contains those same bluff tops.
We finally arrive at the Tunnel View and I get my first shot off at 9:54pm. Almost an hour later than I would have liked, but, here we are. The valley was dark. Only the odd tail light from distant cars were seen as they made their way through the valley. There was no wind. Very peaceful. The moon was bright and behind us, illuminating the face of Half Dome, a little over 8 miles away.
Above the rest. Revolving around you.
