A sense of place in photography is a concept where you convey to the viewer more than just a subject, but the essence of a location in a single frame. This is a shot of the two iconic lifeguard towers at San Elijo State Beach. I've shot them a billion times, but the other day at around sunset the scene spontaneously came together when pelicans flew overhead and a duo of surfers moved into the frame. The wildlife and riders are an integral part of the beach life here and it was neat to finally put the real sense of place together in one shot. I chose black and white for the presentation so that the individual features of the scene could be viewed without the distraction of color.

This image is copyrighted by the photographer and may not be used without permission.