La Jolla Sunset Long Exposures

Sunset long exposure in La Jolla, California

Recently I found myself digging through my archives for a specific photo and stumbled upon a couple of lovely images that I’d captured of a La Jolla sunset several years ago.

My initial processing was nice, but my editing toolset has changed as technology has advanced, and my skills have grown. I knew I could do better. Before I knew it, I was headed down the re-processing rabbit hole.

La Jolla Sunset re-editing recap

I started by bringing my raw images into Luminar 4 and with the help of a few sliders (mostly AI Enhance and AI Structure) I was able to open up the shadows, pop the colors, and bring out details I’d forgotten were there.

Photoshop, Topaz Sharpen AI, and Topaz DeNoise AI also came in handy for solving some specific problems. Photoshop is still my preferred tool for getting rid of dust spots and distractions; and Topaz’s plugins are magical for getting rid of noise and bringing sharpness to the overall result.

The results

La Jolla Sunset, long exposure
La Jolla sunset, long exposure

Which La Jolla sunset photo is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below, or shoot me a private message.

Want to learn more about the tools I used?

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2 Comments

  1. Kevin La Rue on October 9, 2020 at 8:58 am

    There are great long exposures to be had all along the San Diego coastline from O’side to Coronado, but La Jolla is definitely the “jewel” – great images Angela! I love the serenity these images evoke in that beautiful transition time as the day turns to night. Makes me smile.

    • Angela Andrieux on October 9, 2020 at 3:00 pm

      Always happy to invoke smiles! La Jolla is, indeed, the jewel of the San Diego coastline for long exposures. We’re fortunate to live in such a photogenic county!

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