Getting there just in time for the sky to come alive.
Dramatic Sunset at Morro Bay
Some of my favorite photographs begin with a feeling.
Not a guarantee. Not a perfect forecast. Just that little instinct that tells me something might be about to happen.
That evening in Morro Bay, I was down near Morro Rock when I started noticing the sky changing. The color had not fully arrived yet, but there was something about the light that caught my attention. I had photographed this area enough times to know how quickly an ordinary evening can turn into something unforgettable.
And suddenly I knew exactly where I wanted to be.
I wanted to get back to the Anderson Inn.
From the balcony, I would have the view I wanted across the harbor toward Morro Rock, with the boats resting on the water and the entire sky opening up behind them.
The color was building fast.
So I started moving.
Or at least I tried to.
There was one small problem. My pants were loose, and as I hurried back, I had to keep stopping to pull them up. So there I was, watching the sky get better by the second, trying to move as fast as I could while repeatedly yanking my pants back into place.
Not exactly the graceful image of a photographer racing toward the perfect sunset.
But it definitely made the moment memorable.
The entire way back, I kept looking at the sky. Every glance told me the same thing.
This was going to happen soon.
There is a certain kind of excitement that comes with moments like this as a photographer. I was not racing against fading light. I was racing to put myself in the right place before the moment exploded with color.
I finally made it back to the Anderson Inn, headed to the balcony, got into position and raised my camera.
And then the sky came alive.
Brilliant color spread across the horizon behind Morro Rock while the boats sat quietly on the water below. For a few minutes, a place I knew so well looked completely different.
I pressed the shutter.
The first frame was the one.
Photography often teaches me patience. I have spent hours waiting for light to change, waves to arrive, wildlife to move or clouds to finally break.
But sometimes photography is about something else.
It is about recognizing the signs, trusting your instincts, knowing where you need to be and doing whatever it takes to get there in time.
Even if that means stopping every few steps to pull up your pants.
That evening was one of those times.
What makes this photograph even more meaningful to me is where the story eventually came full circle. The image was later displayed in the lobby of the Anderson Inn, overlooking the very harbor and Morro Rock that inspired it.
There is something incredibly special about seeing one of my photographs hanging in the place where the memory itself happened.
I have photographed Morro Bay many times since, and I know I will photograph it many more.
But I will always remember this sunset.
The anticipation. The scramble. The laughter I can have about it now. The first frame.
And that incredible feeling of knowing I had made it there just in time
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH
Morro Bay, California
Photographed from the Anderson Inn
View “Sunset at Morro Bay” as Wall Art
COMING NEXT: CHASING FALL IN THE EASTERN SIERRA
Golden aspens, crisp mountain air, and the kind of light that makes me want to keep driving just a little farther.