The beaches and rocky shoreline in Pacific Grove are great photo locations. I went there last week to shoot seascapes in monochrome. There are plenty of rock formations and you can get close to them on the beach—but the challenge is finding a good composition. I took many shots with a 10-stop ND filter to add interest. This first one was taken just after sunrise to get that slanting light.

In this next one, I wanted the whole scene to be evenly lit, so I took this long exposure just after sunrise but before the sun’s rays reached the rocks. To me, the photo has a primordial, timeless look.

The night I was in Pacific Grove there was a spectacularly colorful sunset with a sky full of clouds—but, of course, I was shooting monochrome. Oh well, it’s still dramatic, but I’ll admit this is one instance where color would have done more justice to the scene.

I’ve photographed the shoreline at Pacific Grove many times and would go back again. The Monterey Peninsula is a fun place to visit, and the seascapes work especially well in monochrome.