Sunset from the top of Page Mill Road in Palo Alto
If you had told me before I moved to Palo Alto that we’d be able to see the sun setting over the sea just a few miles from our apartment, I wouldn’t have believed you. But thanks to the beautiful hills surrounding Silicon Valley, a short drive to the top will give you a birds eye view for a breathtaking scene.
Photographing the Skyline Ridge
There is a distinct magic to standing on the golden ridges of Page Mill Road as the sun begins to drop behind the Santa Cruz Mountains. Looking down over the expansive layers of the Bay Area, the light shifts rapidly from bright, harsh glare to soft, glowing pastel tones that drape across the hills. It is a stunning location for practicing landscape compression with a telephoto lens or capturing the dramatic contrast of coastal fog creeping through the gaps in the valley below.
To get the most out of shooting from these elevated vantage points, keep these two simple tips in mind:
Arrive Early for the Best Light: The shadows stretch quickly across the rolling hills long before the sun actually touches the horizon. Getting into position early gives you time to study how the lines of the landscape shift as the contrast deepens.
Isolate Your Subjects: While the grand view is beautiful, using a longer focal length allows you to isolate a single oak tree on a ridge line or compress the distant layers of the valley, creating a much stronger, more intentional composition.
In-Person Photography Mentoring in the Bay Area
There is nothing quite like capturing the shifting light as it rolls across the California hills. If you are a local photographer looking to step out of your comfort zone, master manual metering in tricky lighting, or learn how to compose grand landscapes with intention, I would love to shoot alongside you.
I offer private in person mentoring in the San Jose and San Francisco Bay Area area. We work one on one in the field to refine your technical confidence, dial in your camera settings, and help you build a portfolio that carries genuine emotional weight.
