Explosive King Tide: Capturing Waves and Golden Mist at Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
King Tide at Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, Waikiki Beach, Washington
After the quiet calm of the night before, we weren’t sure what we would find at Waikiki Beach. We arrived and set up along with the morning sun and the king tide had arrived for display. We were excited to spend the morning watching the big waves crashing on the rocks showcasing the scale and drama of the Pacific Ocean.
A king tide occurs when the sun and moon align to create the biggest tides of the year. On this day, the tides measured over 9 feel at the highest, but combined with the rolling ocean swell, the waves were hitting the basalt cliffs and exploding dozens of feet into the air.
It was the day I had hoped for but the conditions were different than I had prepared for. I was photographing directly into the rising sun, beautifully positioned behind the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. While challenging, the sun created a dazzling, golden haze and the massive backlight turned the immense spray into clouds of mist. It lit up the water in the air, transforming the crashing wave into radiant gold.
Shooting directly into the blinding light is a challenge of patience and technical focus. It requires embracing lens flare and accepting that the true subject isn’t the landscape itself, but the drama of the water and the light playing against the dark cliff. The resulting images became less about the details and more about the feeling of being immersed in the light and the ocean’s power.
It was impossible to stand there and not feel humbled by the scale of the ocean. The lighthouse, a human created building, looked so small against the exploding waves. That is the essence of nature photography- finding a connection between the human experience and the immense strength of the natural world.
I left the experience feeling energized, covered in mist, and so grateful to have been present for this beautiful event.
