There are very special sunset views at California beaches in places such as Laguna Beach seen above in the sunset photo with cacti, the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island in the distance.

California beach sunsets do not have to be traditional images everyone expects of a pier and the setting sun over the Pacific Ocean. Though every bit as stunning and usually more popular, we like to take advantage of the local geography, flora and fauna to provide "the other side" of the beach sunsets in our pictures. For instance, in the image of Laguna Beach sunset above, there's a group of gnarly cacti overlooking the ocean. Personally, the photo isn't exciting--it doesn't make you say "wow", but sometimes "real" is that way.

Photo tip: To take the picture above, the photographer must balance the light. A built in flash was used for flash fill. Its tendency was to overpower the foreground material, the cacti. By stepping back slightly and cupping your hand partially at a distance from the flash, you can improvise to soften the flash effects, thus turning your hand into a diffuser.

Sunsets in California are gifts to those who think California doesn't compare to where they come from. The landscapes during the day (especially in Southern California), can include lots of earth tones from the sand, palm trees, and the semi-desert environment that the region reverts to when plants are not watered, lawns are let go, returning to their natural state.

But when the sunset comes and drops over the Pacific Ocean, beautiful Laguna Beach (one of our favorite California beaches to photograph), takes on a magical, spellbinding appearance that brings an inner quiet. When your eyes adjust, you'll notice contrasts. In the picture above, for instance, the orange sky, dark brown highlights on the ocean, and dark green cacti in the foreground with little purple blooms offer not just a subtle interplay of color, but also of textures. The smooth silky sky, choppy ocean, and apparent cactus thorns offer three contrasts of textures from the furthest away being the softest, the the middle a bit rougher, then the thorny close up items within reach of those who would be standing and taking the picture or looking from the vantage point on Crescent Beach vista where this image was captured.

If you want to get great sunset pictures in California, our favorite vistas include Laguna Beach, Central Coast--Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Cayucos and Cambria, Carmel and Monterey. These just happen to be some of our picks.

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