Seven years is a long gap between visits. Yet that’s how long it was since I’d last photographed at the base of the bluffs at Swami’s Beach near Encinitas, California. Though the morning was overcast and the skies subdued, it was good to set foot on these shores again. Maybe it was the past 12 months of shelter-in-place, or maybe the joy of returning to this beach, a mix of familiar and new.

The low tide revealed subjects normally hidden by the sea. I found my favorite rock on this beach, one I’d photographed years before in very different conditions. Although the clouds didn’t break, the skies did present nuance and texture. A mood fitting for a quiet morning.

I’m glad I didn’t let the overcast skies discourage me from making the visit. Patience was also rewarded with the perfect swirl of the ocean around my subject.