In the northern reaches of Gloucester, Massachusetts on Cape Ann, where the Annisquam River meets the Atlantic, lies a hidden gem – a secluded stretch of coastline that offers a unique perspective on the setting sun. Unlike most Massachusetts beaches, which face eastward, this western-facing shore provides a rare opportunity to witness the sun’s descent over the land, painting the sky in a vibrant palette of colors.

While exploring Kona’s Hapuna Beach in 2019, I was looking for a scene that really inspired me. It wasn’t until I reached the end of the beach, and found this spot where it transitioned back to natural rock and trees, that I found what I was looking for. I loved the meeting of sand, rock, trees, ocean, and sky with the moon setting on the horizon. And yet I have also long struggled with this photo and feeling like it was not ready for sharing.

I had a very productive photography trip to California in 2018 where one evening on the beach yielded three amazing photos. I posted two of these in the past – Sunset and Twilight – and now here’s the third: Waves. This photo was shot roughly 23 minutes later than Sunset and about 12 minutes earlier than Twilight. The light had not quite dimmed as much as it had for the later photo, so I was able to capture the waves in motion rather than as a long-exposure blur.

We were fortunate enough to be able to take a trip to the Maldives over Thanksgiving, 2018. While our trip was actually for scuba diving, I took advantage of my time on the surface to get a few photos. This one came from a small private island that was a popular spot for dive liveaboards to use for evening shore excursions. As far as I can tell, the place doesn’t have much of a name.

This photo is a companion to a previous photo of a Venice Beach sunset I took in 2019. Both photos show Venice’s iconic lifeguard stations on the same evening, although I took this one of a different hut later towards twilight.