This past weekend, wifey, kidlet, and I enjoyed the Otalith Music Festival in Ucluelet. I’ll post about the fest itself next week. But this post is about Saturday.
Waking up, we were greeted by this — a thousand pardons in advance — effing amazing sunrise.
And, somehow, it only got better from there.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/250 s · f/8 · ISO 1000
Two thousand more pardons, but . . . holy eff, Long Beach.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/1000 s · f/11 · ISO 640 ∙ 8-shot panorama
Click to see the whooole thing
We drove down the highway, lined with trees on either side. We pulled into the parking lot, shaded by more trees. We made our way to beach access in the very west coast dappled sunlight. Between two walls of trees, however, there was a strange sight.
We walked through the tree door, if you will, and stepped into another world.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/1000 s · f/11 · ISO 640
Long Beach is as otherworldly and inspiring as anywhere I’ve been in my time on this planet, yet this has been in my proverbial backyard the entire time, and this was my first visit.
It has all the vastness of any vacation spot I could dream up, only with a climate I can deal with.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 35 mm · 1/1500 s · f/11 · ISO 640
Kitara was as taken with Long Beach as I was. The smile never left her face the entire time we were there, and her droopiness from all the windy driving the day before exploded into flames of happiness the moment her toes hit the sand.
Well, and when I helicoptered her. =)
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 35 mm · 1/1500 s · f/11 · ISO 640 · Photographer: webmeister Wifey
The sheer scope of the place, along with the sun, the unrelenting wind, and the amazing water you could wander through at all depths was, frankly, intoxicating.
It made us happy dance.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 35 mm · 1/1500 s · f/11 · ISO 640
Kitara’s favourite activity was taking handfuls of wet sand, running toward an approaching wave, hucking the sandball into the wave, then running like heck before it nipped at her heels. Here she is mid-retreat.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 20 mm · 1/750 s · f/11 · ISO 640
Popular place? Yeah. But hey, THERE’S SPACE FOR EVERYONE.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/1000 s · f/11 · ISO 640
Kitara expressed her happiness by drawing herself (at the bottom) with 19 hearts coming out of her head.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/750 s · f/11 · ISO 640
As we left, a sharp contrail passed the sky. As I went to shoot it, SEAGULL PHOTOBOMB!
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/500 s · f/11 · ISO 640
I get it now. I know why this area is the source of limitless inspiration (and surfers). I’ll be back, 100%.
Oh, and hopefully, I can convince a couple to hire me for engagements or formals here, too.
=)