Early-morning light streaming through the sea cave at El Matador Beach, god rays catching in the fog above a low-tide shoreline.

Light in the Hollow

El Matador State Beach, Malibu, California

I planned this around the conditions — a low tide to expose El Matador's famous sea cave, and fog so the first light would hang in the air as visible streaks. The dynamic range was brutal, the bright cave mouth against the dark rock, so I blended two exposures to hold it all.

Nikon Z 7_2 · NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S · 16mm · f/11 · 1.0s · ISO 100

June 20, 2026

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