Low Tide Sunset - HB

This photo is best viewed at a larger size (suggest clicking on it directly). Low tide sunset at Huntington Beach.

Last Light

I took this photo on the day after Christmas in Huntington Beach, CA. The sun had just dipped below the horizon and the sky was glowing an incredible orange color. I definitely miss seeing these sunsets (gotta love how the smog enhances the glow a bit).

HB Winter Nights

At "The Strand" in Huntington Beach enjoying the pleasant winter nights.

Fire pit at the Hilton Waterfront Hotel in Huntington Beach. Enjoying a nice dinner in the winter nights.

Palm Tree Silhouettes

The setting sun in Huntington Beach, CA. 3 palm trees line the beach. Love the gradient color of the sky.

Golden Hour - HB Pier

I've posted several images already of the HB pier... so I assume that it's getting a bit redundant. Therefore, I promise that this will be the last one. I'm going to refer to this image as "Golden Hour". Right as the sun is about to dip below the horizon, the entire sky will glow a golden color. This actually can be slightly enhanced in California because of the smog/haze. The light reflects off of the smog and increases the glowing effect.

Pier Reflections

I'm always glad when a sunset takes place at low tide. It makes any image you take much more interesting because you get really cool reflections from the wet sand. This particular image was taken at Huntington Beach Pier towards the end of the day. The surf was quite good this afternoon... so I almost didn't come out of the water in time to gather my camera. However, the spot I was surfing worked better on high tide and was starting to shut down. Anyways, I thought these were pretty rad images.

Under the Pier

When I lived in Newport Beach, I used to surf next to the Huntington Beach pier about 3-5 times per week (one of the best & most consistent surf spots in Orange County!)... and never really had that much appreciation for it. However, after being away from it for 3+ years, I've learned to appreciate its uniqueness again. Here I am standing under the pier at sunset. What you don't see are the 30 other photographers with Digital SLR cameras and tripods surrounding me.

HB - Lifeguard Towers

Every county in Southern California has their own unique lifeguard towers. Therefore, when you see an image of a lifeguard tower in an advertisement or movie, you can usually tell what beach it's being filmed at ("The OC" never actually filmed any of the beach scenes in Orange County). These particular images were taken at Huntington Beach (in Orange County) right as the sun was about to go down.

The Real OC - Huntington Beach

Right after I finished college in Los Angeles, I moved down south to Orange County. I lived there for just over 3 years and really enjoyed it. I think people have a mis-conception of what it's like to live in OC because of the various television shows: "Laguna Beach", "Arrested Development", and "The OC" (did you know that one of the actors from the OC actually had to move from Orange County to Los Angeles to film the show?). Yes, some of the stereotypes are true, but it's all dependent on the types of people you choose to spend your time with... it can be whatever you want to make it to be.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I leave you with this stereotypical image from Southern California. As the day ends, I hope everyone can look back on 2011 with fond memories... and look forward to 2012 with new hopes and excitement.