My typical coastal haunts are nooks amid cliffs, beaches peppered with rocks, and tide pools that only reveal themselves when the tide is low. So when I arrived at the beach in Carlsbad, California, I initially struggled. It's a very different beach environment. A larger expanse of sand, longer shallows, lots of seaweed marking the edge of the tide.

Too wide of a shot and the scene became messy. Lots of distractions. Too tight of a shot and the scene became boring.

My answer - simplify. I went with a simple composition, with a slight drag of the shutter for some motion. And a gentle hand when processing.

Technical Details:
- Nikon D7000 /w Nikkor 18-200mm @ 18mm
- f/16 for 6 seconds, ISO 100
- Processed in Aperture and on1 Perfect Photo Suite 9