Trial and Error

Shooting an image for the Mill Valley Click-Off competition really tested me! For my first attempt, I visited Mount Tamalpais for a dramatic sunset image. The cloud cover made it difficult, and while I got a couple of shots I liked in color, I didn’t manage to get one that felt right in black and white.

For my second stop, I headed to San Pablo Bay for a sunrise shot. I got off to a bad start as the clocks turned back that night, and I mistimed daybreak by an hour. Conditions weren’t great either, and I knew my window of opportunity for the competition was closing.

My third attempt was at Black Sands Beach in the Marin Headlands. I found a great composition, but the tide was moving in fast. Every time I got set up and began my long exposure, a rogue wave would surge up the beach. I had a few lucky escapes with my camera until one wave drenched me up to the waist, and it soaked my camera. I was fortunate it still worked the following day.

In a final, desperate attempt, I returned to Black Sands Beach the next day. I like the additional layer of meaning with black sand and white water on the theme of a black-and-white image. I’ll share the results of that image soon.