I decided to head out “off hours” because the skies were interesting and I wanted to try my hand at more contrasty photos. I also got to put my Haida 17-stop ND filter to great use taking some multi-minute exposures. It looked like a good afternoon for some cloud movement in the skies, a good fit for a long-running black and white project I’ve pursued for the past several years.

When I arrived at the coast, the skies were a little more muddled than I’d hoped for. The aquas and blues provided great color contrast. However, the motion in the skies wasn’t quite what I was seeking. The clouds thickened as the afternoon marched on. With each 4 to 5 minute exposure, the textures in the sky gave way to smooth, suggestive changes in tone.

Fortunately, I am not far removed from this stretch of coast, and I’ll return again when conditions favor the mental vision I have for this scene. Until next time, La Jolla.