First light in the desert is a gift, even if it might be a curse by noon.

Things are often shrouded in San Francisco, but that makes it even more magical when they appear.

Watching a Venice Beach sunset is one of the most beautiful ways to end a day.

Sometimes in Times Square it’s hard to tell if you’re more drenched in rain or lights.

The City of Angels, from the Griffith Observatory. Start in the golden light of late afternoon, then watch the expanse of Los Angeles slowly light up below as the sky turns purple. If only I had remembered to bring a flashlight to find my way back down after dark…

I grew up in West Virginia thinking that LA was the promised land. I even studied maps so thoroughly as a child that by the time I first visited at age 27, I already knew my way around. That kind of adulation seems like a recipe for disappointment, but LA somehow met my lofty expectations.

It takes eight minutes for sunlight to reach the Earth. Maybe a bit longer if it gets shredded by a Ferris wheel at the end of the trip.

The sun may go down in Venice Beach, but it never gets less colorful.

Some barriers are physical, some psychological. Before you can overcome them, you have to figure out the difference.

What a day for a daydream.

Captured at Venice Beach, CA

There are lots of dudes in SoCal who think they’re the only one.

They went for a perfectly nice walk, but something came between them.

Captured at Gasworks Park in Seattle.

Two surfers paddle out in search of the perfect shade of orange.

That first trip to San Francisco was not what I expected. It was chilly (in July!), it was hilly and everyone seemed different. Every corner had a market and every hilltop had a vista. It was OK to paint your house purple, and it was OK to be yourself. I felt at home there, and it’s still one of my favorite places. Looking at this recent image, I can still feel the sun on my face on a perfect 60 degree fall day. Pure gold.

They were entrenched in deep discussion, unaware of the scene they were starring in.

Only the most exclusive birds of prey can circle in the rarified air above the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The morning sun burns off the fog around the Bay Bridge.

A San Francisco street corner quandary.

When you come to a fork in the road, someone has to make a decision.

The Golden gate splits the uprights. Almost more beauty that I can take.

She needed protection from Broad strokes.

The Broad, DTLA

Always keep an iron in the fire.

A smoky day in the city, rendered in teal.

Everything’s lined up for a beach day.

Ocean Beach, San Diego

Study it long enough and you’ll find the answer.