Since I have lived in the mountains of Yosemite and the eastern Sierra my entire professional career, I have never considered myself much of an ocean photographer. I have always felt a bit out-of-place at the water’s edge. My son, Dylan was attending UC Santa Cruz the winter of 2013, and I have had a chance to visit the Big Sur coastline twice in the last six weeks. Many individuals consider Big Sur the most beautiful meeting of land and water in the entire world. They might be right! I am continually reminded of three key concepts that I teach in my workshops. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” And to do that, one must return again, and again. Vince Lombardi said, “Perfect practice make perfect”. I seldom make my best images on a first visit to a new location. My old friend and mentor, Galen Rowell always mentioned, “One's inevitable failures provide important clues to predicting eventual success”. I am getting closer to seeing “rightly” at Big Sur.
