Located just North of the Golden Gate Bridge, this sleep-sacrificing sunrise spot may be one of my favorites so far, This past winter, Chris and I made a pre-dawn trek to check out Kirby Cove. As we walked down the dirt path in pure darkness, we heard the fog horns booming through the chilly morning air, the smell of Eucalyptus as we entered the beach, and faint scent of firewood from the nearby campground, the experience is something I'll never forget.
Kirby Cove Sunrise
The long exposure photograph above was taken with my tripod mounted Sony A7sii. Chris, my husband, brought along his trusty Nikon D300. As the tide oscillated in and out we kept our eyes and hands fixed on our cameras to steady them against the oncoming tide, which seems to work nicely, allowing us to capture the ebb and flow.
....and then, we became comfortable, or perhaps just exhausted from lack of sleep, possibly delirious from the magnificent splendor of it all, we're not exactly sure. All we know is that for a split second my husband's hand came off of his tripod, and to our horror, down went the Nikon, disappearing into the depths, devoured by the oncoming break.
We both fell silent as we ran toward the submerged camera gear. This was not how we'd imagined this adventure ending. We raced to remove the lens filter and watched in horror as salt water pours from behind. Talk about a your heart sinking into your stomach.
Exhausted, cold, and with a fizzled sense of excitement, we trekked home and fell into bed for the remainder of the morning.
A few beers into the afternoon, we said goodbye to the D300 and accepted that it was lost for good. Chris seemed to be in better spirits as we began to discuss replacement options. This certainly made me feel calmer about the ordeal, but when Monday morning came around, drinking my cup of coffee and staring at our new paper weight, I couldn't help flicking the on switch one last time before walking out the door for the day. I almost spit my coffee out when it sprang to life!
It's now been 6 months and it's still working like a gem. We'll hold out for any long term affects of the salt water but for now we're thankful beyond words and now wiser for the experience. And as a lasting reminder of the drama, Chris recovered this amazing shot his camera snapped before it tumbled into oblivion:
Last snap of the Nikon D300 as it fell beneath the white water.
With this as a visual reminder, I'd like to share some advice about this trip. Hopefully it will help others not make the same mistakes we did.
Things to know about visiting Kirby Cove
1. Flashlight, You'll need it on the trail down to the cove - hopefully not for cleaning water our of your equipment.
2. Dress warm - It's a frigid and gusty walk down. Bring an extra pair of socks or wet suit booties so you can get a shot like the one above. My feet were frozen chunks of ice after taking this!
3. Crowds. Be prepared to have company. This is a popular photographer's destination, even at 5am on a Saturday morning. Be respectful of the artists around you and their set ups. You'll appreciate them doing the same for you.
Things To Know About Photographing the Shoreline
4. Physically keep you hands on your gear at all times. Please don't leave your camera alone in the white wash. No really.....Don't. Ever. Let. Go.
5. Camera Insurance. Remember when you were going to get camera insurance but didn't? Do it. Do it now.
6. Tip: If you're camera ever accidentally gets submerged in water, wipe it off, remove the battery, let it dry. Do not try to turn it on for at least 2 days. Perhaps miraculously you'll still be able to save it like we were able to!
