Most mornings, I ask myself one question: Ocean or bay, where will I shoot today? Checking my apps- the forecast of light winds led me to decide on the bay. A flat bay makes for nice reflections, and I hoped to see some wildlife along the shore. Mastic Beach is fairly unique on Long Island in that nearly the entire length of shoreline is accessible to the public.
This morning I chose a spot by an old marina, and was met by a cloud bank. It looked like the sun was going to take a while to rise above it, but today I had the luxury of waiting. Before long, one pale, thin ray emerged, and from there it got better and better. As the rays of light got more dramatic, I felt I just had to go see that light on the ocean.
The Smith Point Bridge is just a few minutes away, so I headed over there and was not disappointed!
As the sun rose higher, I decided to make a stop at another favorite local spot, Wertheim Wildlife Refuge. The Carmans River runs through the refuge and defines the western edge of the Mastic peninsula. The wildlife viewing here is always excellent.
There are so many beautiful places to shoot on this island, that the daily decision is never easy, but today worked out just fine!
