The Astonishing Blue Waters of Adriatic Sea

The Adriatic Sea offers the most dramatic and marvelous water hues. Crystal clear aqua blue colors dazzle and shine especially brighter on sunny days. From this angle, Dubrovnik's historic Old Town and City Walls take over the coastal views.

The Great Wave: Cliffs of Iceland

Ancient volcanic activity leaves this nature preserve with a stunning crescent shape. Rocky cliffs and awe-inspiring forms take hold, with the soft, contrasting beach and water in the near distance. 

Life in Black & White: The Cliffs of Reynisfjara Beach

Black Sand Beach Part II: The sharp ridges, edges, and textures of the cliffs come alive on this day as we battle against wind and rain.

The gloomy overcast sky surprisingly creates the ideal atmosphere. 

Featured in Flickr's Explore. 

Crashing Onto Shore: The Black Sand Beach

Black Sand Beach Part I: It's like straight out of a black and white movie. 

You don't exactly think of going to a beach on a grey, dreary, drizzling afternoon. But the black sand and cliffs create such a moody, evocative contrast against the white sky as the strong waves crash onto shore. 

The Reverse Effect: Palm Trees + Pink-Turquoise Skies

One set of palm trees sitting right by the beach at twilight. 

After cloning then reversing the image to create a mirror effect, I altered the skies with contrasting hues and vertical striped lines. 

The Dramatic Cliffside Views of Montara State Beach

There are some breathtaking cliffs at Montara State Beach. 

The sharp ridges, uneven textures, multicolor tones, and asymmetrical shapes create stunning one-of-a-kind cliffs surrounding the beach, making it an awe-inspiring walk across the sandy seashore. 

In Heaven: Turquoise Waters and Eternal Sunshine

The view from Mori Point is absolutely gorgeous--it's as if we've transported to a completely different place outside of the bay and into Hawaii. 

Over the Edge: Cliffs + Beaches + Water Views

Came across this absolutely beautiful view of the edges of northern San Francisco during a weekend hike and had to stop to capture it. The bright green grass, turquoise-blue waters, cliffside views of the nearby beaches and Presidio park created this picture-perfect moment. 

Sunset Skies: In the Sand and Mountains

Such a marvelous contrast with the palm trees in this direct point of view. 

Part of the palm trees are out there against the open sky, whereas the other portion sits nicely in front of the mountains. 

Featured in Flickr's Explore.

The Santa Ynez Mountains at Sunset

Clear blue skies on a breezy day with one of the most calming sunset walks ever. The golden hour casted this bright glow on the mountains and created subtle reflections at the beach. 

Dusk Colors Across Vancouver at Twilight

Kitslano Beach Part II: After the sun sets, you're faced with blue hour at twilight. The colors begin to mute a bit, the glow fading but still reflecting on the skyscrapers, and the mountains darken more, creating a marvelous contrast against the sky and waters. 

Featured in Flickr's Explore.

Water Waves + Sunset Colors at Kitslano Beach

Kitslano Beach Part I: That moment where you're sitting right between golden hour and blue hour, where you still get the orange colors but the darkening sky creates a greater contrast. 

The beauty of Vancouver is even more striking after the sunset, with shadows of the mountains coming alive. 

Featured in Flickr's Explore.

Bright Blue Skies: Golden Gate Bridge's Water Reflections

It was a crystal clear blue skies day with no fog in the horizon. 

As the waves continued to wash up to the shore of China Beach, it created spectacular reflections of the Golden Gate Bridge! 

Escape to the Coast: Corona Del Mar's Expansive Views

Corona Del Mar State Beach Park is known as the "Crown of the Sea." 

It truly lives up to its name with mansions surrounding the park and beach (for miles and miles), gorgeous views from the waters, and the calming, coastal glamour that you can only dream of. 

This was one of my favorite pics from this beach and I decided to add a cool blue filter to it to create a calming, yet somewhat moody photo to match the grey overcast skies. The different textures from the clouds create a slight pastel effect, which lends itself a nostalgic, ethereal, dreamy quality.

After Sunset: The Blue Hour at Laguna Beach

The fading light. 

The last remaining glow. 

As we continue to count down the minutes after the sunset until dusk, the sky continues to darken, the colors becoming more vibrant and more widespread--spreading across the sky until the very last second. 

Flows like Water: Pacifica's Beaches and Striking Waves

Such strong currents, creating a spectacular view where waves wash up to the shore, delivering an animated art show with its foam-like surface. 

The waves have such distinct textures all around, looking very 3D in a 2D frame. 

Shining Bright in Santa Monica: Reflections at the Pier

 

A bustling night out at the Santa Monica Pier. Crowds began to dissipate as we went further down the pier into pitch black darkness, hearing laughter in the distance and calming waves. 

From the other side, we could see the famous Pacific Wheel, altering into different colors and designs every other second. I particularly loved this color cast--a mix of orange and pink, creating that soft yet vibrant salmon color. 

Soft Pastel Summer Vibes: Sandy Beaches and Waves

 A tranquil scene in a chaotic world. 

I love this view of the waves crashing into the shore in the later afternoon, where you see the sunlight directly reflecting on the water, creating these cool textures and effects, making it look 3D almost. 

I wanted to give this a soft, pastel feel where it feels light and airy like summer and in the comforting light turquoise and pinkish beige hues, so I adjusted the colors a bit giving it a more warmer tone. 

Blue Skies Ahead: Vibrant Colors of Golden Gate Bridge

One of those truly rare crystal clear blue sky days in San Francisco, where everything shined so brightly, from the glistening dark blue water to the sparkling sun. No speck of fog or low clouds in sight. 

Soft Pastel Waves: The Gradient Effect

Going to the beach an hour or so before sunset is one of my favorite times to capture photos of the water, especially since you get so many different ranges of hues and textures from the direct reflections right off the sky.

I wanted to experiment more with this beach photo by adding a soft gradient touch to it--the result is a calming water pic with peach, pink and turquoise strokes of color and light.