Sunday predawn was the time for a surf session in town. Usually DogLand is an out-of-town venue, but on occasion the waves are so good within the city limits of Santa Cruz they demand to be ridden.

Of course the swell was jumping that morning, making for some great lines in the water. Peelers back to back to back were visible from West Cliff Drive, making for some tempting waves in the water. But there was another feature as well that made this the place to surf.

You know all the sand pulled from your favorite beaches by the recent storms? Well that sand has to go somewhere, and guess where one destination is? That's right, the stretch of cliffs from the Lighthouse, past the Indicator, and toward Cowells is sporting a new beefy berm 'o sand. Even at a moderate tide of two feet, you can descend the stairs at the statue and walk along the sandy shore toward the Lane, or toward the cove.

Morevoer, you can stroll into the water toward the line of breaking waves, and stay waist to chest deep for many meters from the cliff. This makes the paddle that much simpler. This same berm o' sand is forcing the waves to peel in spectacular fashion along the entire strecth, connecting sections that would never connect otherwise.

Surfers chose their take off that morning from the many available, then rode the connected waves along the cliff for just about as far as they desired. Some jumped into it at the Point, then rode to the stairs at the statue. There they ascended the cliff and walked to the Point to do it again.

Others rode from the statue around the bend to the stairs at Cowells. There they climbed the cliff and walked back the statue. Then they descended those stairs to do it all over again. As the morning progressed, more surfers arrived for their own turn at this carousel. There were more than enough waves for everyone.

And now, the mid-week lack-o-waves is upon us, but there is more swell in the forecast for the next weekend. We can all do it all over again. This winter has already been one for the ages in terms of surf. Let's hope it continues.

As a photographer, I am constantly in search of color. I love to shoot surfers and the ocean in action, but I also love to shoot the amazing colors of this heaven on earth in which we live. As such, I scout for photos on the terminators; dawn and dusk. These are the magic hours when horizontal sunlight spreads the visible spectrum and creates fantastic lighting. This session at the Lighhouse in Santa Cruz in late January pretty much pinned the meter on the amazing lightshow the cosmos creates for all of us. All of the colors you see in these photos are real; I do in fact use Photoshop to retouch every one of my pictures for public consumption. I tweak, I enhance, and I coax shy details from the background to the foreground. I want photos that "pop" when you see them. But I never ever lie with Photoshop to create something that did not exist. This morning at Steamer Lane was one magic morning, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the colorful images of a truly memorable happening!

CU Out There,

DogMan