Night Photography at Dog Cr@p Park in Santa Cruz

[John Kasaian]

It is what it is, so I wear old "suicide mission" shoes, on this little bit of green on the bluff above the beach, the Northern border overlooks the San Lorenzo River and the old Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Every Summer I try to shoot through the clouds of marijuana smoke on nights when the old boardwalk is open and arrayed in neon and incandescent splendor trying to replicate the look of that famous image of the Chicago World's Fair at night in the Congressional Archives. I use an 8x10 Gowland aerial camera on a Tiltall tripod, 300 Nikor "M" wide open at f/9 and Ilford HP-5+.
So far the only real success I've had is enjoying my annual prawn burrito from the Palomar located at the yacht harbor while waiting for sunset My negatives so far just haven't impressed me enough to "give up" on this little venture and this summer, dependiing on diesel prices, I'll do it again. This should really be a pretty straightforeward shot, but I keep on blowing it----I think I'll "shoot" for a full moon evening this year.

Are there any locations you visit every year for that illusive shot?

[Joseph Dickerson]

Mine is Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove. Got a couple of nice things over the years but I know there's a better shot there somewhere.

But then, unlike Ansel and Yosemite, you and I can't just look out the kitchen window to see what the light is doing on Half Dome or El Capitan. Or so I keep telling myself.

Maybe you should get some disposable galoshes?

BTW have you found the Falafel place on Highway 1? It's just as you come into town from the north, across the street from a McDonald's.

JD