I was somewhere along the northern Oregon Coast when I took this photo, but I couldn't tell you exactly where. The tide pool was full of birds. The waves were splashing on the coastline. The sunset was quickly growing softer and more colorful. I sat on the side of this tide pool for maybe twenty minutes trying to photograph the birds that were playing in the water until I realized that was ridiculous. The mood and lighting around the tide pool was much more interesting and I should capture the whole scene. Sometimes it makes sense to focus on details like the birds, and sometimes the more impactful photo can be made by showing the environment and the scene as a whole. Now if I was sitting here with a scotch or a pinot noir that would make my evening just come together perfectly.

