Woman and Seagull

This is one of My Very Favorite Photos Because it Speaks to Me

I captured this picture in Pescadero, California on the Ocean Shore on September 29, 2012.

(Click on the picture to view or download a full 4K version)

The story of this picture:

A companion and I were motorcycling down the coast from Half Moon Bay on Hwy-1
We took a break at the Pescadero State Beach.

While I was parking the bike, she wandered over to the edge of the cliff to watch the ocean.
I got my camera out and ready just in time to spot her profile and the seagull.

This, to me, is full of symbolism.
The lady and the seagull seem to be looking at and contemplating one another.
Each from their own element wondering what the other's world is like.
The cresting wave and the dark line of vegetation seem to mark boundries that guard the separate realms.

In my composing the picture:

I framed the picture to include the vastness of the ocean and the limited extent of the land.

The lady and the seagull were actually about 20-30 yards apart,
the magic of telephoto lens distance compression made this composition possible.
I was lucky to be in the right time and place and to spot the opportunity for this shot.