
I am excited about this image for a few reasons. Its my first official landscape release made with the M9. Like all my officially released images, I have hand made a very large print to verify quality and this one is exceptional. The lack of anti-aliasing filter on the M9 combined with the very high image quality of the 28mm Elmarit ASPH makes for a richly detailed image.
I am also excited because when compared to my previous image from this location, it shows just how different the light can be on the California coast. There are many things I like about my prior attempt but I think this one edges it out slightly (only ever so slightly mind you).
Finally, I'm excited because this image was the result of 3 different exposures which have been fused together. I've often said that I don't like the over the top HDR look, opting instead to use HDR to get around the dynamic range limitations of current digital cameras to produce a more natural looking image.
I made this image on a quick day trip to the coast almost two weeks ago. My sister-in-law was in town and wanted to do some coast photography so I played guide, showing her some of my favorite spots near the Big Sur area. We had to decide between this sea arch and McWay Falls for the sunset shot and she chose the arch.

I set her up in what I think is an optimal spot for this place (except for taking the little foot path to shoot the arch from the other side which looked almost completely worn away from the recent storms) and set myself up in a different location to get a different point of view.
I very much intend to return to this area again in the future, hopefully when we have similar ocean and sky conditions to photograph the arch from the other side (assuming the little foot path is in better condition).
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