California Photo Scout

Sunset at Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove is as beautiful as the famed 17-mile drive, but without the cost of an overpriced entrance fee.

Every time I come here, the ocean looks different. Sometimes I am greeted by a ferocious beast trying to shatter the shoreline and other days the tranquillity and serenity is only interrupted by seagulls circling the calm skies. I have often fantasized what it must be like to live in one of the impressive houses lining the coast.

Benches overlook the coastline and small coves with little sandy beaches are sheltered between the protruding rocks. Joggers are running on the paved walkways while cars are slowly cruising down Ocean View Boulevard. Fascinated faces peak from behind the windows of rental cars. Drivers are using every pullout available for a chance to breathe fresh air and snap a couple of vacation shots.

A little further down the road on Sunset Drive surfers unload their boards and head out to sea for an afternoon encounter with the waves.

Although Pacific Grove is a tourist mekka, it still is a fantastic place for serious photography. No picture will ever look the same since the landscape is shaped and in flux and the weather is always changing.

How to get there

From Highway 1, take the Monterey exit and follow the signs to Cannery Row. Follow Ocean View Boulevard towards Lovers Point (GPS: 36°37’34.51″N 121°55’0.44″W). Keep following Ocean View Blvd. through Pacific Grove which then becomes Sunset Drive until you take Highway 68 back towards Highway one.

How to photograph the Pacific Grove

Flowers at Pacific Grove

There are many golf courses and brush scattered throughout Pacific Grove. Several deer made the brush their home and sometimes they like to venture out on the golf courses, maybe investigating this strange human behavior. In any case, the deer are relatively docile. If you approach them carefully, you can walk away with some wonderful close up deer studies.

If you come during the late spring and early summer months, the entire shoreline will be ablaze with purple color. Use a wide-angle to short normal range lens and get low to emphasize the flowerbeds.

If the ocean is calm, I prefer to shoot wide-angle scenes. Include some rocks in your scene, but make sure they do not appear to be a barrier keeping the viewer out of the picture. Place them in your frame as stepping stones, drawing the mind in (put a bit of water in front of the stones).

Use a normal or even a long lens if the ocean is turbulent. It will compress the space between the distant waves and the foreground to make them look even more impressive.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

I prefer the late afternoon to sunset for deeper and richer colors. I like to come during spring to photograph the flowers, but I prefer a later time for the entire scenic drive and ocean views to avoid the tourist crowds.

Time required

Driving the loop at a leisurely pace can take anywhere from 60 minutes to 120 minutes depending on the season and time of day. During the peak travel season, it will take longer due to slow tourist traffic. Depending on the number of stops you plan, you can easily spend another 2 hours for photography. A stop at the Point Pinos Lighthouse will be another hour or two.

Things to bring

• A tripod for sunset photos
• A wide-angle lens
• A normal (50mm equiv.) lens
• A long lens in case the deer show up
• A polarizing filter and maybe a warming filter
• Warm clothes for sunset photos
• A picnic basket

GPS position

36°37’42.59″N 121°56’15.85″W

Close Locations

• Point Pinos Lighthouse
• Monarch Grove Sanctuary – Butterfly Town
• 17-mile drive with the famous Lone Cypress Tree
• Cannery Row and Aquarium
• Monterey Fishermans Wharf
• Carmel
• Carmel Mission
• Point Lobos State Reserve with its beautiful turquoise pools, rugged cliffs and tidepools
• Moss Landing
• Natural Bridges State Beach
• Capitola

Useful Resources

Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce

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