Each year, for a few weeks in January, this natural phenomena occurs for a several minutes before sunset at Pfeiffer Beach near Big Sur, CA. With a clear sky to the west and a low tide - the angle of the sun provides this amazing glow through what is called Keyhole Arch.

Getting close to the Keyhole Arch allows rocks and sand in your foreground.

Images and location summary by Rob Strain.

Trail Difficulty - Easy

I would rate the difficulty of the trail as a 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). From the parking lot, is an easy downhill walk to the beach. Coming back up is a bit more work.

GPS Coordinates & Elevation

36°14'19.2"N 121°49'01.1"W

Sea Level

Photography Tips

Depending on your fondness for water foregrounds, you might want to check out tide levels. Low tide means getting quite close to the keyhole or having lots of rocks and sand in your foreground. With a higher tide you might want to get into the water and catch the light hitting sprays that come up off the foreground rocks. If you decide to shoot with a wide angle, including the sky in the background, your dynamic range will be very wide, so bracketing is advised.

Shoot and expose for the foreground you like and replace the blown out sky with one that is not overexposed. If there are thin clouds or fog on the horizon, you may be able to shoot straight into the sun through the arch. Again, bracketing will help a lot. Try to catch the sunlit water reflecting off foreground pools for a more compelling image. My preference is for angles that are slightly to the north on the beach. Try a number of exposure times to see what you like. With long exposure times, be sure the surf isn't washing the sand out from under your tripod legs.

Directions

CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the parking area for Pfeiffer Beach

From Big Sur - head south on CA-1 S (parts of this road may be closed at certain times or days) for 3.0 miles and turn right onto Sycamore Canyon Rd. Drive 2.1 miles and turn left into one of the three parking lots (there are three lots, so don't take the first one unless the area is crowded).

Always be sure to check road conditions for Highway 1 at this time of year because it is subject to washouts and landslides. Monterey Ranger District office: 831-385-5434 ext 0 or call the Big Sur Visitor Center: (831) 667-2315.

From the parking lot - to get to the location of the shot, is an easy downhill walk to the beach.

View In Google earth

EXIF Data

Focal Length – 16 mm
Exposure – 1/60 sec @ f 8.0
ISO – 100
Date – Jan 16th
Time – 4:45 pm

Other Images From This Location

Image by Susan Taylor

Image by William McIntosh

Best Time of Day to Shoot

The best times to shoot this location is later afternoon to SUNSET. While attractive year round, the best shots are in January when the surf spray that comes through the keyhole is colored by sunlight. Totally overcast days will be disappointing.

Best Time of Year

Get there two hours before sunset to stake out your best shooting positions. It may be crowded.

Lens(es) Needed

To photography this location, you would be best to bring a wide-angle 15-20 mm. To shoot the closeup (to isolated view of keyhole) you will need a telephoto 85-150 mm.