Point Reyes is located just north of San Francisco in rural Marin County. It is a truly beautiful spot, and I’ve returned to it several times. Margaret and I planned a trip this May with a week of hiking and bike rides, but the weather was uncooperative all week with fog almost every day, though did manage two bike rides in the amazing green foothills of Marin backcountry.
But as we all know, bad weather equals good photography. That being said, I believe that Point Reyes is very difficult to photograph in a truly inspired manner. When I visited Point Reyes Station, there were no good photo books, cards, or calendars using color work in the local stores. There is also not much online. I have made many visits over the last few years, and I do love the area, but it is a subtle spot. There is only one "must see location", and I needed time to take the "spirit of Point Reyes" into my brains. I scouted this location twice before during a rainy visit in April, and I glimpsed the possibilities, but my "right brain" told me the idea was not there. We took our Ford F150 this May; I have rarely used the top of shell in recent years, but the higher location is the key to this composition, as the roof of the second barn is placed right along the distant hills. It was key that the barn be the center of the capture, but not the composition—it is an anchor. From there we can visit the cows, and the wispy sky, but we are not lead back to distant clouds and mountains. This was a lucky instance too, and for a few minutes, the light was incredible! The fog lifted a bit to the west, the cows were in a perfect spot, and the green hills were alive.