California Photo Scout

Sunset near Point Arena Lighthouse

Mel Gibson made Point Arena Lighthouse and the Point Arena Headland famous with the tragic ending scene of the movie “Forever young”. The area is tremendously beautiful and should be on your list of places to visit along the North Coast. I often drove past the lighthouse and usually arrived after the early closing hour, until recently when I was lucky enough to gain entrance to the lighthouse grounds.

The steep entrance fee may be justifiable to most photographers who come this far, but the audacity of charging whatever they want and lack of interesting subjects near the lighthouse make it hard to justify. Since the entrance fee also includes a tour to the top of the lighthouse, you should just consider the fee your ticket to the top. Going through my notes from 2006/2007, I realized that the fee had been lower in those days.

The views from the tower are exceptional, but the so-called guide only delivered useless information about paint on the tower and the like. If you happen to come here during a foggy day, you should spare yourself the pain and just shoot a few interesting shots from outside the fence (image above).

Since I am absolutely in love with the rough coast of California, it is hard to stay objective. To me, every stretch of coast is different from another and no two places look alike. Friends and family often wonder about my strange obsession, but I must admit that I cannot imagine many things that are more fun than driving along the California Coast and watching it change with every mile. Point Arena Headland encompasses some of the most spectacular coastal landscapes in California.

How to get there

Turn left onto Lighthouse Road from Highway 1, about 1.7 miles north of the city of Point Arena. The city of Point Arena lies about 35 miles south of Mendocino and about 52 miles north of Jenner.

GPS position

N38 57.284 W123 44.441

How to photograph Point Arena Lighthouse

Fence at Point Arena Lighthouse

Even if you decide not to pay the steep entrance fee, you can still take exceptional photographs here. Since the lighthouse area is only open between 10am -4:30pm (or 11-4:30 in winter), you need to photograph the sunset from outside the fenced area anyway, unless you stay in the hotel on the grounds of the lighthouse.

With a long lens, you can take exceptional shots of the lighthouse including the rocky coastline, you can photograph the sunset and explore other areas of the headlands. Even though the coast is fenced off from the street, you will find a hole near the entrance gate and a trampled path to a viewing area. Taking this path will put you in danger of falling from a cliff, especially since the ground is made of sandstone that is prone to sliding into the sea. Always obey warning signs and keep off other people’s property.

During my last visit, the operators had stripped the lighthouse of its white paint, much to my displeasure.

View from the top of the lighthouse

It is quite difficult to photograph the lighthouse from a close distance. You will need a wide-angle lens, but the distortions caused by pointing the lens up will make the lighthouse look whacky. In the shot above, I stepped back and used the fence to lead into the frame. I did not have to tilt the lens up as far, but I had to place the lighthouse in the upper left corner, which made it look elliptical. You can correct some of the distortion in Photoshop if you shoot digital. Using a Tilt and Shift lens is the best option in those situations, since those lenses can correct the projection.

The highlight is the climb to the top of the lighthouse where you can get a 360-degree view of the headlands. Take your time and shoot everything you like. Switch lenses or use your zoom lens to try out different focal lengths and use your polarizing filter. Include the handrails or some other elements of the lighthouse in your wide-angle shots to show your viewers where you are standing.

Gazebo from the Movie "Forever Young"

A trail leads to the Gazebo from Mel Gibson’s movie. Follow it only if you have plenty of time or if you are a diehard fan.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

If you arrive during the afternoon hours in winter, you can wait for the sunset outside the gate. I generally prefer the afternoon, the later the better. Do not arrive after 4pm if you want to go up to the tower. The area is good year round, but the most beautiful during spring.

Time required

You need about 45 minutes to one hour if you do not hike the trail. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset and stay until 30 minutes after sunset if you want to shoot during that time. Unless there are some clouds, it will not be worth waiting around for.

Equipment

• Telephoto lens (200mm)
• Wide-angle lens
• Circular Polarizer
• Tripod and Cable Release (for sunset and small aperture shots)
• Perspective Correction Lens (Tilt and Shift)
• Split Neutral Density Filter (sunset)
• Warming Filter
• Wind jacket and hat

Fees

You need to pay $7/person to enter the grounds, which includes the tour to the top of the tower.

Close Locations

• Manchester State Beach
• Russian Gulch SP
• Point Cabrillo Light Station
• Jug Handle Creek
• Van Damme State Park and Beach
• Navarro River Redwoods State Park
• Bowling Ball Beach
• Fish Rock Beach, Bourns Landing, Collins Landing
• Salt Point State Park
• Fort Ross SHP
• Jenner and Russian River

Useful Resources

Point Arena Lighthouse website

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