Photograph a Spectacular Sunset at Palomar Mountain

Pauma Valley, California

Description

Not only is the ascent up the mountain a pleasant drive, the sunset is the icing on the cake. Once at the top, you'll enjoy enormous views of San Diego county while watching from 6000ft of elevation.

Once you're on 'S Grade Road' ascending the mountain, you will start to see mile markers along the side of the road. For the specific pictures shown, I stopped around mile marker 46 and pulled off to get the shots.

Begin with walking along the edge of the mountain visualizing a scene you like. Once you have it, set up your tripod and frame your shot. It's best to shoot in "Aperture" mode, set at f8-f10, with the lowest ISO your camera will use. If you have a Neutral Density filter, you can shoot in manual mode, shooting at f8, between 15-30seconds, and the lowest ISO your camera has. Using the filter will give you a nice creamy sunset.

After your shoot, take some time to enjoy and soak in the scenery and the rest of the sunset. Being 6000 ft up on the edge of a mountain really has a calming effect! Happy shooting.

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Features

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Forest

Scenic

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