"It's hard to take a terrible picture of Point Reyes," says Sean Arbabi, "but not all that easy to get a really great one." He should know; Arbabi, an outdoor photographer and Sunset contributor, teaches workshops at Point Reyes National Seashore, 35 miles north of San Francisco.
Like any good instructor, he makes things fun for novices ― but he doesn't tolerate slackers. Whine that "the beach is totally socked in and there's nothing to photograph" and he'll just arch an eyebrow. "There's always something good to shoot here ― if you work at it."
Point Reyes' beauty and changeable weather offer rich possibilities to photographers looking to hone their skills (and looking for good places to hike and picnic). Take a camera and you'll look at Point Reyes in new ways: seeing the beauty of sunshine in the leaves, or in trees wreathed by fog.
Workshop
Framing a shot
Subject
Bear Valley by morning
Point Reyes is filled with wildlife―from shorebirds to bobcats and elk. Near the Bear Valley Visitor Center, Morgan horses wait in a corral.
Challenge: Hemmed in by forest, this area never gets warm dawn or dusk light.
Tip: Check the corners to make sure something interesting is happening in every part of the shot, and use the fence line or arching branches to frame the horses.
Best time: An overcast day, early to midmorning.
- Loading comments...
