JD-0304
Sunset in the Sonoma Highlands, Fort Ross, California
© 2005 Jerry Dodrill

This location in the highlands of the Sonoma Coast is a magic point of visual convergence where I have been working for several years. I first found it in spring of 2002 and attempted to make morning and evening photographs. The March light was too contrasty and my attempts failed miserably. Mid summer was no better, but in August, I made a fine image on a smoky day. In September of 2005, I returned again and made this image with marbled clouds in the sky, fog over the ocean and the sun setting noticeably farther south, causing the lens flares.

I enjoy learning the nuances of a place, knowing the angles of light and atmospheric patterns. Such familiarity brings one to a deep respect for the land and instills a desire to preserve and protect it.