48.7

Cool crisp air and a breeze light as the wind blew in off the Pacific and cleared the fog that had permeated the shoreline much of the day creating a crystal clear sky with brilliant starlight. Driving down California's Pacific Coast at night during a full moon is possibly one of the best ways to see some of the coastline. The light from the moon turns the ordinary in to magical scenes. The gulls have all roosted and the skies are wonderfully clear. The typical waves that are usually massive were calm and the night unusually quiet making for a special moment in time unlike any other.

In order to stop the Coast Guard beacon in motion I had to set the camera to ISO 1600 and f/2.8. Even so, it was still a 3 second exposure so timing had to be perfect. I was a little worried about noise levels but the new Nikon D800E came through again. Even at ISO 1600 the noise was minimal.

I am really going to miss the annual lighting that normally takes place in November but lets hope they can get the repairs done quickly and the event will return in a few years. Pigeon Point Lighthouse is really stunning when the main Fresnel Lens is turned on.

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight.com