landscape,  sunsets

West Coast Sunset

West Coast Sunset

This image was taken back in 2003 while on a road trip along the West Coast. I spent 3 wonderful weeks on the road, camping at different locations and making every effort to connect with the people and the area. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and would love to experience that a few more times. I had just purchased my first digital camera, a Nikon D100, and still own it.

I had just been laid off after about 27 years as an electronic technician/engineer. Burned out with the work and wanting to move on to something else, I hung up a shingle as a photographer. The grand visions were just pipe dreams because I had no idea how to get there, or where “there” really was, so I just wandered. I made money with portraits and weddings but making a living was not happening and eventually took the shingle down. The dream is still there but I now have the reality of how much work is involved. I feel I’m in a better place in my life, both as a person and as a photographer. I’m more aware of my strengths and weaknesses, what I’m capable of doing and what I have yet to learn. Anyway, enough rambling. Hope you enjoy the image.

Retired. Having fun with photography. Journal daily. Meditate daily. Learning haiku/poetry. Have a love for fountain pens.

4 Comments

  • Earl

    Monte, beautiful image and wonderful composition using the coastline and coastal grass.

    As a young man I was eager to be “grown-up” thinking at that point I’d be who I was suppose to be. So I did all the expected grown-up things. I didn’t realized until much later in life that we should continue to change and if lucky grow. For me, this moment of understanding came with a lot of major changes in my life. While self-discovery is not always an easy journey the rewards can be great. Ok, stepping down from my soap-box now. Thanks for sharing, Monte. 🙂

  • Don

    Loving the image and your thoughts and memories.

    I got out of the marines in 9170, bought a new Z28 Camaro, tore up the streets with it and I also had visions of photography as a living. Five yearts later entered law enforcement, last 26 years and only retired because of an injury.
    But photography is my therapy for seeing life as it is.