With Laguna Beach arguably seeing more tourists annually than almost any other Beach City on the West coast of the United States, it is no wonder that it is one of the most frequently photographed destinations on the California coastline and often called the French Riviera of North America. This town has managed to keep its unique charm and cozy cottage like aesthetic for decades, while everything has changed around us, Laguna has managed to keep its small town feel and intimate coastal setting which makes it so unique and special.
With dramatic cliff sides and a treacherous rocky coastline, the Laguna Beach coast offers a boundless array of landscapes for the consummate Landscape Photographer. Some of these locations are hidden gems that are rarely ever seen and not easily accessible to more well-known locations that have easy access with nearby beach parking. There are several notable locations that you must definitely visit if you are planning to come stay for a bit. I love exploring the rock formations on Aliso Beach depending on the tides and wave action. Every day the conditions change and create its own special interest that makes an innumerable amount of moods to shoot. Another stunning place that I often visit is right out front of downtown Laguna on Main Beach. Here on Main Beach there are often large waves that break close to the shoreline, these waves can create dramatic settings with a limitless amount of creative focus to work with. During winter, the sun sets directly out front of Main beach which makes for very clean lines and a centered focus on the colors in the sky if you have the right cloud cover for it, making Catalina Island the perfect sentient backdrop for your scene.
With Laguna Beach having beautiful year-round sunshine and balmy weather, it is an automatic go-to destination. Since the very beginning, Laguna has been known as one of California’s best-kept secrets, yet one of the most well-known art colonies on the West coast and once one visits it is very apparent as to why Laguna Beach holds such allure.
When I was a young man, I can remember surfing Thalia and coming into my Mothers Laguna Beach gallery in downtown. She has been here for well over fifty years now and is somewhat of a Laguna icon. If you come by, definitely come and visit Ruth Mayer Gallery, as my Mother and greatest inspiration she is the reason why I have chosen the art path in my life as well. I can remember the days working in the family business and learning everything from her, from top to bottom! While much has changed here over the years, there is so very much that has remained the same and I absolutely love this charming, small beach town.
Fast forward a couple decades, I had never really imagined that I would also one day open my own gallery in downtown Laguna, let alone right next door to my Mothers gallery, however here I am! It all began with a phone call from my Father one afternoon, advising me that a thirty-year tenant on a prominent corner had vacated! I was a bit in shock that they were no longer here as I had seen them for most of my youth as an unchanged part of Laguna. Then out of the blue, here my father and I are talking about the fact that I should open my own studio Gallery there. It wasn’t but a few weeks later and everything was in place to begin construction.
Laguna Beach has long been a place thick with history and beach culture. Artists for nearly a century have flocked to laguna to paint plein air along the beautiful and dramatic coastline that stretches for over a dozen miles in each direction. With many historic and cozy cottages and Lagunas own Pirate tower which is merely a homeowner’s staircase that reaches the sand, however, has garnered well known allure for as long as I can recall. I have spent the better part of three decades capturing rare moments along the coastline of Laguna.
One particular capture stands out in my memory out of many that are no less incredible, it was this past summer when the red tide caused the bioluminescence to grow like wild off our local beaches! At sunset, the waves began to glow in hues of vibrant neon blue! Truly unlike anything I had ever before seen in my lifetime. I spent the better part of two months chasing this rare event up and down the coastline attempting to create the perfect capture. I was literally in a frenzy searching current charts and tide patterns attempting to see where it might make landfall each night. On most days it hovered just off of the beach out of the wave zone. In this place, the bioluminescence isn’t triggered to fire off and you would only see a dark sea with an occasional glow off in the distance. However, on a select few nights, the beaches were alive in a spectacle that left us all in awe! You see this wasn’t just a bit of blue water, this was something that looked like it was straight out of a sci-fi movie. Each wave that would crash, would have these little dinoflagellates lighting off in this incredible neon blue spectacle that lit up the entire coast! It was nothing short of a marvel and beautiful gift from Mother Earth. About forty-eight days into my quest, I felt like I was finally getting the hang of capturing these phenomena. Working on moonlit nights with a lower ISO and a slightly quicker shutter was often the best, however, one of my most incredible captures came from a longer exposure where the sea literally turned into a brilliant blue during the darkest of nights with Scripps Pier illuminated from below. Moments such as these, I cannot help but to think that they are a once in a lifetime occasion. To be in position to capture such a rare event and have the ability to create something truly special in that moment as a way to remember this significant event was really a memorable experience for me, one I won’t soon forget.
The street scene here in Laguna is truly unmatched! With the Pageant of the Masters, Laguna Art A Fair and dozens of local Fine Art galleries, there are so many attractions for anyone looking to visit. The fine dining and many family friendly activities leave much to be explored to those seeking a bit of adventure and relaxation in one of Southern California’s most unique and charming communities. I myself often hike many of the local trails that skirt the foothills nearby, a great way to get some exercise and see more of this amazing place.
Oftentimes, I will be in my studio working with my team and talking with visitors about the work yet keeping my eye keenly on the weather. On a moment’s notice you will find me jetting out of the gallery, venturing off to one of many special locations that are favorites of mine to shoot. Depending upon the time of year, which often decides where I shoot. During the winter the sun migrates along the horizon back to the South leaving much of the coastline open to sunset skies that will blow you away. Likewise, summertime has the sun marching Northward and if you’re not careful, you will not catch the sun in a great position to capture a desirable composition. Much care is necessary to be taken when choosing a good location to shoot depending upon the time of the year. Between watching our local weather and keeping the time of the year in mind, I am often searching for that next perfect hometown shot to place in my gallery!
So many special Laguna moments stand out to me in fact, that they are all so incredible in each capture. From amazing sunsets with low spring tides, wild and dramatic storms with huge waves crashing along the coast to the milky way rising over the coastline. These are all memories that I have of the place that I hold so near and dear to my heart. In fact, Laguna Beach truly is a one of a kind destination and I am proud to call this charming place home.