Now I'm typically not one of those "sunset" people...you know, the ones who are posting them on the daily, snapping them nightly...the ones who incessantly chase sunsets as if they were storms. You're inevitably thinking of someone in your life as described (if you're not the one guilty as charged). They (or you) would likely be proud "labeled" as such--sunset chaser! I've honestly not paid enough attention to sunsets! Sometimes I notice, sometimes I don't. All I know is they happen, whether I'm taking note or not. In terms of photography, I photograph people--generally speaking--so, sunsets just haven't been my thing.
Backing up to college...I commuted all four years of my schooling. My commute involved about 40 minutes of driving straight into the sun, away from my suburban life, into a corner of downtown Dallas. That season of my life taught me many things, but one *bright side* it highlighted was the art of the sunrise. Ever faithful, ever unique, the sun rises...without fail. Unless it was cloudy. Or rainy. But you get the idea. It's a really beautiful concept of God's designing nature on one hand, and steadfastness on the other hand. Two epic handfuls that the human brain will never comprehend...and I'm totally cool with that.
Fast forward to my recent travels...I've found myself obsessed with catching sunsets! Like, what is the deal? The first time I remember being absolutely enthralled with photographing a sunset was my recent trip to Sarasota, Florida (see the post here). Locals claim their sunsets are the best in the world, and I can't say I'd disagree. Since then, I've observed that not only does the sun's art vary from day to day...but state to state multiplies the variety by 1,000,000. So you've seen my east coast sunsets from Sarasota...I included a Scottsdale sunset in this post...now I'm adding west coast vibes to the fun.
The first two photos were my first, "OH YEA, I LOVE SUNSETS" moment on our Malibu trip. This view is only a few miles from where we stayed. As we were headed back from dinner, the sun was just beginning to set (and I was already taking pictures out the car window). Mom's not much of a "thrill seeker," so the winding cliffs of Malibu don't necessarily light her fire. We got her home safe and sound, and just as soon as we did, I begged Dad to go back out with me...maybe we could catch this guy (sunset) in time.
The next night--same time, same place. (Pictured below)
I mentioned my love for Point Dume (in this post), but here's the rest of the sunset photos! My parents were total troopers, cause it was a cold and rainy evening. I kept asking, "Can I get just one more shot?" (If you follow me on Snapchat ((👻juslikejess)), then you know what I mean. 😉) I can hardly wait to have some of these printed!
Below is a photo taken from a turnout one late afternoon. The fog was rolling in, but the sun was still shining bright behind the clouds...
Now that I'd seen several amazing sunsets in Malibu, I was convinced...there must be an ideaaaal place to watch a Malibu sunset. Where is it?! I literally Googled, "best place to watch the sun set in Malibu." Na-da. (Since when does Google not have the answer?!) I looked on Yelp, TripAdvisor...nothing.
The next day would be our last night's stay in Malibu. After that, we'd drive up the coast to land in Pebble Beach.
I have a Malibu Airbnb wishlist that's constantly being updated (are you surprised?). I had my eye on a few lodging places for future stays and thought it'd be worthwhile to scope the areas out, since Airbnb won't release the exact street address until after you confirm a booking, for privacy reasons. But sometimes you can use process of elimination by having the street name and some pictures. :) So we were out driving around after dinner, in a part of Malibu we'd never explored before. It was literally up in the clouds...the drive...the views...it was all a bit over-the-edge for Mom's liking. It was a rather gloomy hour with the way the fog had rolled in...sunset surprisingly never having crossed my mind. All of a sudden, we rounded a corner and there she was. Whoa. "Dad, pull over!" Of course, there's hardly shoulder room in Malibu, but he found a makeshift spot for me to jump out and take my camera with me. I shot the below two images through a fence. I'm surprised the silver metal didn't show up!
After I grabbed the images I wanted, I hopped back in the car and excitedly asked if we could keep driving. I was thinking there'd be a more ideal spot up ahead. But at this point, I didn't want to miss it! We rounded several more corners and pulled up to a turnout where a few cars were parked and a few photographers were perched. Yep, this was it...the most ideal spot in all of Malibu to watch the sunset. It could've taken me a million sunsets to find, had I been looking for it! And we somehow stumbled onto it without ever searching.
Remember how I said pictures are like the sixth love language to me (see post here)? This was quite honestly God showing such interest in my life and paying such attention to detail...down to the minute...that He'd lead us to this exact place at this exact minute, just so I could see the sun set from the most ideal spot in all of Malibu...on our last night to see a sunset there. Wow. These are the images I captured. It felt as if we'd stepped out of California and into Iceland...or some far off land where clouds hover over treetops and colors are painted behind the mountains in the most unreal ombre design. Wow. He must care a lot about me.
Much love xo
Jess
