Rincon Mornings

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By David Powdrell

I don’t get down to Rincon Point to photograph at daybreak as often as I’d like, but when I do, it’s almost always a magical morning.  It’s my “happy place”.  My church.  

Maybe it’s the incredible array of colors under a morning sky.   Maybe it’s the smell of the ocean and the sound of the crashing waves.  Perhaps it’s just reflecting on my pre-stroke days of surfing Rincon Point as a kid.  Whatever the motivation, spending time at Rincon in the mornings is powerful to me.

In pre-dawn light, images of surfers running down the beach are eerily blurry.  I like that.  The shutter strains to stay open just a bit longer to grab any light it can find.  In photography, I’m learning, lighting is everything.      

Winter is coming.  The morning skies are most vibrant these days.

Rincon at the crack-o-dawn isn’t for everyone, but for those surfers that make it a priority, most are rewarded with glassy, less-crowded, super-fast rides.  

I’m passionate about giving my photos of the surfers back to them.  If you see an old guy standing on the rocks with a camera on a tripod, sometimes wearing a wool Ivy cap, holler and I’ll send you a photo of you if I have one.  I’m just grateful for the opportunity to capture you dancing on the morning glass.