The Unaware Photographer

It was shaping up to be another beautiful sunset in La Jolla.  Sensing that the stars would align and we would get one of those perfect October sunsets that paint the sky unbelievable colors, I headed down to WindanSea Beach to get some photos.

I Find my Shot and Wait

About 5 minutes after arriving, I found the sunset shot I wanted.  There was a couple sitting on a small bluff overlooking the surf and since the surf was breaking close enough to shore.

I thought I could capture a shot of them, watching surfers as the glorious sunset appeared behind them.

I like shots that have various things going on, particularly if they are framed by something spectacular like a super sunset.

For sunset shots I usually like to compose a shot and then wait it out until it all comes together.  It looked like it was all shaping up.  I was going to get that shot.

The Unaware Photographer

WindanSea is a very popular place for wedding and couple photography so its not unusual for you to see 2-3 photo shoots happening all over the beach.

Usually the photographers are good about not getting in each other shots or getting in front of other photographers as they try to take the sunset photos that WindanSea are known for.

At this moment however, I was not so lucky.  I heard him getting his camera ready and instructing his wife to pose for some pictures and pointed in my direction.

Just as my perfect shot appeared before my camera, he strided right in front blocking the complete view of what I was trying to capture.  He proceeded to take all sort of pictures of her as I watched all my waiting and my shot disappear.

Initially I was a little perturbed.  I don’t want to call him rude but some might.

I think he was just generally unaware that he was stepping right in front of me.  I didn’t say anything because I felt that he was going to get a really nice picture of his wife, and well, I could get a sunset picture anytime.

A Serendipity

I hopped off the bluff and started to walk away.  I turned to see what the sunset looked like and I suddenly realized that the photographer had not blown my shot of the night, he had actually created it.

I focused my camera, made and adjustment and snapped what was to be the best shot of the night.

This picture captured perfectly why photography is amazing.  You never know what you’re going to get.  You need to be flexible enough to let life happen all around you and you just might get something great.

I think this was the perfect shot for the night.  A photographer taking beautiful pictures of wife against an amazing sunset.   I would not have been able to get this shot if I didn’t open my eyes to the possibility of seeing something different than I had originally planned.