Several years ago, I was at Morro Bay paddling with a friend. We had a great day of conversation and Pacific Coast paddling early in the day. As the afternoon wore on, we decided to go north of the bay to explore. As heat inland drew the moisture toward the coast the inevitable afternoon clouds rolled in; at the beach, cool and overcast, a couple of miles inland, hot and clear. As we retuned back toward Morro Rock on highway 41, we stopped on the coast at Cayucas Pier.

As we stood on the side of the road, a sliver of sun broke out from the clouds and illuminated the wharf. Photos like this only last a short time and I quickly grabbed a camera and took this photo. Not only did I like its uniqueness, I like the light.

A short time ago I was back at Morro Bay and as we wandered up the coast for a short trip, we passed Cayucos Pier. Let’s stop and get a photo, I said, as a contrast to the one a decade ago. Here it is.

Taking nature photographs can be a challenge when the light doesn’t work out or the sky is too orange due to fires miles away. Sometimes I wish I were back in the studio where I can control both the direction and quality of light. However, knowing about how to control the light means being able to recognize when it happens naturally. It also means you might have to move your point of view or position to “make” the light behave the way you want.

I couldn’t have staged the light for that picture a decade ago. But I knew it when I saw it. Remember, your camera doesn’t take the picture, you do.