Newport Pier

A storm was coming. It was forecast to be one heck of a storm and it was all the news could talk about. Of course Southern California storms always make the news because any kind of weather is a big deal in these parts. I was on a deadline, and I had decided that I was going to go shoot Newport Pier as part of my Into The Ocean project.

The frame of mind I keep when going to a new pier is that worst case scenario it's a scouting trip. In other words, if I get nothing I get nothing. Life goes on. Even though I was on a deadline for a class final, I still kept that frame of mind. The lack of pressure makes it easier on me and I usually end up with something I can use.

I drove up to Newport Pier late on a Thursday morning which made Orange County traffic quite easy to deal with. Once I got there, I found parking without a problem. But hey, it was Thursday, cold and cloudy.  The wind was enough to make anyone with Southern California beach movie images in their head run for cover. The wonderful thing about this type of weather is that there were just a handful of people - which was perfect.

Newport Pier is glorious underneath. A photographer's dream because it lacks those pesky center posts. The clouds and lack of people made it all even better.

For my Into The Ocean project, I'm also working on this map. This will give you an idea of the amount of piers in Southern California. It's a work in progress, there's lots more to come.

Next I'll mark which piers I have been to. I think it will also be important to photograph each pier at different times of day and with different weather so even though I may have visited one, I'll return to see what else I can get. Thank goodness so many of the piers are in the southern end of the state!