Hank,
Great to hear from you! That was one of the best days of that ride. I actually went back to that day in my journal, and left it below. That day was one of the better of that ride - though anywhere along the west coast is stunning. The only camera I had on that trip was my Canon G1X - which is still my go-to portable camera.
It's great to hear from you and I look forward to getting to know you better!
-- Mike
To paraphrase Bugs Bunny; “Motorcyclist meet the most interesting people.”
After a bit of Google map exploration last night, I immediately left Hwy 101 to head west, for a ride down 7 Devils Road, closer to the coast and out of the traffic of the main highway. I motored along, enjoying the patches of fog, passing wild raspberry bushes and fields of hay. On a whim, I took Whiskey Run Road right down to the beach.
What awaited me was a one of those really special moments of having a wide, expansive and beautiful beach to all to myself. Sitting on a piece of driftwood, all I could hear were waves and seagulls. Not a human, or any sign of humans in sight. A truly spiritual moment.
After a few minutes of taking it all in, I walked the beach mindfully, looking for patterns in the sand and water. Whiskey Run Creek spilled out onto the beach and made its way to the ocean in ribbons; leaving beautiful patterns of sand as it disappeared into the surf.
Regretfully, I had to leave, and I suited up again. Not more than a quarter-mile back up the road, I spotted a gentleman setting up a medium format camera at the back of his car. I pulled over and we had a conversation. His name was Hank Keeton, and he was a local professional landscape photographer. As he put it, he made just enough money to keep his wife from kicking him out of the house. He and I spoke for 30 minutes about cameras, film, how digital sensors are constructed, the pros and cons of shooting medium format, and his love of shooting square (I suggested Instagram). It was one of those moments that happen only when you're open to what life brings you.