Several times while visiting Santa Barbara while my youngest son studied at the University we stayed at a hotel within walking distance of the harbor. I would get up several mornings just before sunrise, walk down to the harbor to capture the sun rising over the Santa Ynez Mountains.
One of these mornings I was fortunate to have not one but two surfers show up. I like this image because of all that’s happening. As the sun has just risen above the hills in the background, a surfer walks in from left at the same time a surfer has caught a small wave and is making his way in towards shore.
I also really like the walking surfer’s reflection on the wet sand and the range of earth tone colors throughout the photo, with the darker hues both in the sand in the foreground and the mountains as they trail off southward along the coast.
NOTE: If you’re in Santa Barabra, to capture this view, walk to the end of the jetty around the Santa Barbara harbor then walk on the rocks at the breakwater onto the small spit of sand.