In the little town of Leucadia, California, lies a surf break known as Beacons. It’s a forgiving, fun little wave (one I love to surf myself). The clifftop above the beach is the perfect location to watch the sun set into the Pacific Ocean.

Most days you’ll see people gathering in the cliffside parking lot as the evening approaches. The often cloudless blue skies of Southern California mean you’re rewarded with beautiful golden light (known as the golden hour—the best time of day to take pictures).

From the surf lineup in the ocean below you can watch not only the sunset, but also the silhouettes of those gathering on the cliffs above.

On a warm winter evening I decided to try and capture that energy with my camera. Simple, wonder-filled moments like this are what give me life and this photograph inspired the name and cover of my upcoming album, The California Side.

This photograph was shot on film and is giclée printed and signed in my home studio on Hahnemühle Baryta Fine Art paper. It is limited to 150 copies (each copy will be numbered) and is available in two sizes—8x10 and 11x14.