So without walking very far there are already two locations with great backdrops for your photos: Pacific Ocean and Carmel River. What makes this beach unique is not only the river, but also its proximity to the hiking trails at Carmel Meadows. The rugged beach also makes for dramatic proposal or engagement photos. You really can’t go wrong if you’re looking for incredible backgrounds for your images. Definitely worth the price of a photography permit.
The easily accessible beach is located right off Highway 1 on Jetty Rd. As soon as you turn onto Jetty Road you’ll want to slow down immediately because you are now in otter country (plus there’s speed humps). Moss Landing may in fact be the otter capital of the world. In fact, if you’re not sick of otters by the end of this blog I’ll be surprised.
Before I go any further I must state that at Lover’s Point there will always be a seagull or there will always be a squirrel. Now that that’s out of the way, this lovely half park, half beach is a top choice for photo sessions. Nestled between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and 17 Mile Drive, Lover’s Point is possibly Pacific Grove’s top attraction (although I’m sure some monarch butterflies will have a say about that).
Eventually, after a couple of turns and road changes (Siri had a hard time keeping up!) we arrived at our destination. The cave was large but also largely hidden by its surroundings. ! I’m used to squeezing myself into old mine shafts but you could walk in standing up! Let’s be real, if you enjoy the smell of bat urine and guano, this is the cave for you.
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.
Above the rest. Revolving around you.
