Morro Bay: The Adventure Begins

Morro Rock from Tidelands SP at Dawn

At long last, December 1 arrives and I was ready. Five AM comes early no matter where you are, but given the time difference with the east coast it was actually 8 AM at home, so I felt like I'd slept in. I had two hours before the sun came up and I'd already selected my shooting location for dawn, so I had time to kill. I killed part of it with a McDonald's breakfast, a guilty pleasure allowed only on special occasions, such as when the hotel's buffet is still MIA.

I fired up my pickup and headed for my predetermined location in Tidelands State Park, just south of downtown. I had determined from home that Morro Rock was fully illuminated by the morning sun at about 7:15, so I parked, drank my coffee, and waited. As it got a bit lighter I set up my tripod and camera and began trying different locations. I found the one I wanted and set up my shot.  Just as I did so, two other photographers pulled up and began doing the same thing. They were not chatty, so I kept to myself. (I did notice that when I left they moved to my former position, so I must have picked the best spot.)
I took quite a number of shots, trying various exposures, knowing that a little work in Photoshop was probably going to be in my future. The shot above is my favorite from this location. But, the day was young and it was time to move.