Any good beaches Santa Cruz beaches to get some nice sunset shots?
Posted by Richard Wong on October 19, 2007 at 6:49 PM
Natural Bridges is known for the monarch butterflies and the arch out in the ocean. Santa Cruz Boardwalk is a cool place to hang out and see some bikinis if thats what your into.
Posted by Benjamin Glatt on October 20, 2007 at 12:25 AM
Chicks in bikinis are nice, but currently, some nice sand and sun would please me more.
Posted by Greg Cope on October 20, 2007 at 6:52 PM
Benjamin, I'd suggest Natural Bridges - it is one of my favorite beaches to get sunset shots. Climb up along the tidepools and you can get some nice comps. Avoid the parking fee and park along the road above. Many of the other beaches along that coast are beautiful, but for some reason NB has always attracted my attention. When the sky lights up, thats where I love to be. Here's a couple shots from the tidepools there: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copeg/296609719/ http://www.naturefocused.com/archives/122406/122406.html
Benjamin, if you are talking about beaches IN Santa Cruz proper, I would recommend Natural Bridges State Beach as well. However bear in mind that it is right in town, surrounded both east and west (the coastline runs basically east-west through Santa Cruz) by dense homes and private property. You can't frame any more than a sliver of the coastal bluffs without including somebody's house or other signs of development. If you're going to shoot out to sea, as Greg did in his beautiful photographs, you'll be mostly fine (and shots of the iconic arch work best in that direction anyway, since the arch window opens north-south), but otherwise bear this in mind.
If you want broader landscape potential, look along the coast west and north of Santa Cruz. Ano Nuevo State Reserve and Wilder Ranch State Park are two nice locations within 30 minutes of town limits. There's also Greyhound Rock County Park, Pescadero State Beach, the bluffs and beaches around Davenport (slated for State Park addition), and more all the way up to Half Moon Bay.
Scott
Posted by Benjamin Glatt on October 24, 2007 at 12:09 AM
Discussion
5 replieshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/copeg/296609719/
http://www.naturefocused.com/archives/122406/122406.html
If you want broader landscape potential, look along the coast west and north of Santa Cruz. Ano Nuevo State Reserve and Wilder Ranch State Park are two nice locations within 30 minutes of town limits. There's also Greyhound Rock County Park, Pescadero State Beach, the bluffs and beaches around Davenport (slated for State Park addition), and more all the way up to Half Moon Bay.
Scott