Chris, Minnie, Fireplace, Mike,
Thanks everyone for the kind words.
When Nature puts on a show, just hang on and enjoy the ride!
I had "planned" this shoot for more than a month, according to the tide tables with very low tide coinciding with late afternoon-sunset. The key dates were Thur 9/19 and Fri 9/20. These were 9/20.
Just hours before, the Oceanside, CA "Super Girl Surf Pro" competition was taking place exactly where I was standing. It was scheduled for the full weekend. From early morning to just after Noon, the water would have been several feet over the top of my head at that spot.
But now the tide was out. Really out. Giving that wonderful reflective surface.
I was actually standing on the ocean floor, as were the people in the shots. The Oceanside Pier, just to my right, out of the shot was festooned with banners of the event. There's a plastic balloon visible in the water that acted as a marker buoy for the surfing contestants. It's in the low breakers here, but during the event, was actually in very deep water far beyond any waves.
To my back was the dry beach. There was a rock band playing. It was very festive and alive, with crowds milling around, in shops and restaurants, unlike the "Lonely, End of Summer" scenes in front of me.
This was a prime example of "F/8 and Be There" photography. I just aimed the camera around and gobbled up the goodness that Nature presented. Gorgeous light, color, sea gulls, people. These scenes just composed themselves. I was simply there at the time with a camera.
Rich