Happy Valentine's Day!

Went on an impromptu photography meet-up yesterday with 2 of my bro-tographers Russell Cronberg and John Moya. Finally caught up with a SPECTACULAR sunset at the Vernal Pool @ the Santa Rosa Plateau, a beloved spot in Murrieta where a lot of my fellow photography club members call "home court advantage". At any given day, chances are you'll bump into a photographer or two, or three...

The colors of the sunset were on full display in the sky, and especially in the water. There's just something about a sunset reflected in the ripples of the water. Every ripple tells a story, and the blend of yellow and orange glow of the sun and black shadows of the deep water serve up a beautiful yang to the ying of the sky. This never gets old. A lot of landscape photographers - myself included - love to play with long exposure photography in sunsets like this. When the water is exposed for 20-30 seconds, it presents a smooth and buttery texture that is just so soothing to look at. Here's my shot of the Vernal Pool exposed for 30 seconds...

Santa Rosa Plateau Vernal Pool

Compare the same shot that is exposed 1/30 of a second, and you get an alternative shot that focuses on the ripples and presents an entirely different mood:

Santa Rosa Plateau Vernal Pool

SaveIsn't it interesting how the exact same shot can be interpreted differently with just the turn of the exposure dial? Tell me what you think...your comments are welcome!