I ran out of the house this morning, trying desperately to get to Santa Monica from Topanga Canyon for a shoot.  Leaving 3 hours early because of major traffic disruptions due to a brush fire the afternoon before on PCH.  The fire crews were still out, making sure the brush wouldn’t re-erupt from smoldering embers.

Because of the crazy traffic, rushing to set up for a shoot and my laptop dying-  I completely forgot it was my turn to do a shot for Daily Photo!    I was finally heading home as it was starting to get dark.   I had just turned onto the incline in Santa Monica to head down to PCH and head home, when I saw this gorgeous to die for light, from what must have been an incredible sunset.  I suddenly realized I needed a photo!  And from what I could remember about Joe’s shot, this just may tie in.

Not one to intentionally break driving laws, I made a U-Turn on the incline (highly illegal) and found a parking space on Ocean.  Jumped out of my car with my tripod and camera bag.  The sun was long gone, but the glow it left through all the smoke from the PCH fire and a fire by my house in Topanga, (just a couple hours prior to the PCH fire) helped create this beautiful colored glow.

This shot was taken at 5:40 pm, from the bluffs above Santa Monica Beach, looking north-west.  Yesterdays fire on PCH, was only slightly further to the right.  And the Topanga fire, almost in direct line a few miles past that.

Returning to my car, I realized I was only in a T-shirt in close to 80 degree weather!  This is January!??

If you live outside of California, stay where your at!   Even if you are freezing your butt off.  Traffic is horrendous!   You don’t….   I repeat don’t want to move to LA.  Stay in the wicked cold weather, wherever you are!   We have brush fires and earthquakes.  Stay AWAY!