Set your alarm clock for 5 a.m. because you want to be out the door by 5:40 a.m. Plan to bring a jacket, hat, gloves and your best camera and accessories. Charge your camera battery. If it is a film camera, bring plenty of film of various speeds. If it is a digital camera, make sure you have gigabytes of room on your memory card.
To take pictures with a magical quality, you must take advantage of every possible source of natural magic. In my opinion, the greatest natural magic is the soft color of light during the golden time from a half-hour after first light to an hour after sunup. The first 30 minutes after sunrise are best. The colors captured during this golden time are soft, warm and vibrant.
I keep captain’s hours, so I’m often out at sea during this golden time of morning. On some days we make a long run and enjoy panoramic sunrise views. I smile when passengers pause to appreciate the splendor of nature and click some pics. Those scenic photos help tell the full story of a day in paradise. The soft morning colors add quality to our fishing photos. I sell photos to the magazines I write for, and I have learned the added value of morning colors. Late afternoon colors also add magic to photos; however, between the two, I prefer morning light.
For this adventure, you need a boat. Rent one, borrow one, charter one or go out with a friend who owns one. Launch early enough to be able to get some pictures during the morning glow. Our harbor promises many glorious morning shots of scenery and critters. Aim for 100 photos (or more) before leaving the harbor. If a boat ride just isn’t a possibility, no worries, you’ll find plenty of magic to shoot at the harbor. For one thing, Stearns Wharf, with the sun peaking over the horizon through the pilings or just above the deck, is surreal.
For boaters, the run across the Channel will give you some great sunrise photos. Head for the front side of Santa Cruz Island, where the combination of morning light and craggy cliffs with swells breaking over the boiler rocks will fill your lens with photographic magic. The majestic scenery is only part of the fun. As we move into spring time, many of the critters cozy up and may give you opportunities for shots of pairs or groups. Plan to take a couple hundred more shots here.
This seafaring photographic adventure may just provide you with a shot worthy of printing (big), mounting and hanging on your living room or den wall. Then you can tell the story of the adventure to your house guests.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a new nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need.
