Sunset Bikini Shoot

Here's a definite change of pace from what I have been shooting. It's been a long time since I have done some photography at the beach. This was taken this past Saturday, at Torrey Pines State Beach, located in San Diego, California.

I do not have all the fancy lighting gear to do a very professional photo shoot. Therefore, I have to wait till conditions are just right and optimum. That time happens during the last hour of sunlight and just after sunset. Photographers call this period of time, "The golden hour." During this golden hour, the sun is low to the horizon and the light coming off it is softer, warmer, and much more pleasing of a look, in general, on people especially.

The model in this pic is not a professional or even have any modeling experience. One thing I can't stand about photography in the modeling industry is photos which have been touched up or "photoshopped" way beyond belief. I call these "overcooked" images or photos. The other thing I can't stand is poses which are like a pretzel or just plain not natural looking at all. I like to keep it simple and make the model feel comfortable, not contorted in some weird position. I find it more pleasing to look at.

In this photo, the sun has just set, and you have some wonderful colors, from deep blues to warm yellows and oranges. I love low tide and I placed the model on the wet sand, which would reflect the gorgeous sky onto the sand. During this time, the contrast is not as extreme, as it was an hour prior to this. Therefore, it is much easier to use fill flash, without high-powered studio strobes. I used one Canon 580 EX Speedlight flash, on camera, with a 1/4 CTO gel taped over the flash, just to splash a little warmth onto the skin. The results are not bad at all, considering what limitations I had, as far as lighting goes.

Oh, it sure is fun to live in San Diego. Especially when January here looks like this.