One Foggy Morning at the Ventura Pier

Venturing South

So often when visiting my folks on the Central Coast of California my mom and I take our cameras and head north toward Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria, San Simeon, and Big Sur. But this time we decided to do something different – something we’d never done before. We headed south to the Ventura Pier, and then stopped in Santa Barbara on our way back.

Its not that we’ve never been to Ventura or Santa Barbara – but they are usually places we drive through (often) to get somewhere else (usually, San Diego).

Photographing the Ventura Pier

The fog took its sweet time burning off and we never saw the sun. So we shot the Ventura pier in the fog. It was chilly, breezy, and quiet except for the crashing of the waves against the rocks.

I started out working with my 10-stop ND filter and capturing a few long exposures. I love the silky texture of the water, the motion of the flags, and the crisp details of the pier and foreground rocks.

25 Seconds at the Ventura Pier {Captured with my tripod mounted Canon 6D and 16-35mm lens w/ 10-stop ND Filter}

6 Seconds at the Ventura Pier {Captured with my tripod mounted Canon 6D and 16-35mm lens w/ 10-stop ND Filter}

After working the long exposures I switched to HDR to capture the detail of this gorgeous turquoise lifeguard stand. I really love the perspective I’m able to capture with my wide angle lens.

4 Exposure HDR captured with my tripod mounted Canon 6D and 16-35mm lens, processed with Lightroom, Aurora HDR 2017 and On1 Photo RAW.

Where to Eat in Ventura

By the time we’d finished shooting the Ventura pier it was time for lunch. We headed to the Lure Fish House – a great restaurant only a few blocks from the beach. Mom & I shared a crab cake salad and the Campechana ceviche. Both were amazing. I highly recommend Lure if you find yourself in Ventura!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means that I may receive a commission if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase. I only share products that I believe will be valuable to my readers (most of which I personally use and love). All opinions are my own.