JD-0294
Cloud Shadows on the Pacific Ocean, Sonoma Coast, California
© 2005 Jerry Dodrill

California's North Coast offers a diverse array of visual imagery, but it's beauty is elusive to capture on film. The light caresses land and sea such that the average photograph fails disappointingly to reveal the subtle grandeur. This isn't Yosemite or Big Sur. The great vistas aren't obvious and good light is fleeting. But when it's good, it's extraordinary. With research, scouting and an understanding of fog and weather, one learns to anticipate light and capture fine perspectives.

For me the North Coast is a training ground; photography bootcamp. The light is as difficult as anywhere I can think of. Gaining an intimate familiarity with difficult lighting here prepares me for excursions to the rest of the world.