Places

AVILA

BEACH

Known for some of the best and consistently warm weather in the world, south facing Avila Beach is uniquely sheltered by a series of geological improbabilities. And, it is very rarely the subject of a dramatic storm photograph such as this one. But winter stuck around well into April this year giving Avila-based professional photographer and self-described “storm lover,” Lance Kinney, a unique opportunity to capture his hometown in a different light. Standing on rain-soaked Dog Beach, facing the Cal Poly Pier (the Avila Pier is in the background) just before 6:30 in the morning Kinney took five shots in rapid succession, the first two were underexposed, the third was as-is, and the last two were overexposed. Then, blending them together in a technique called “HDR” (high dynamic range) he developed what you see here, a sharply contrasting and true-to-life reproduction of the real thing. “I love it when I get a local image that people don’t immediately recognize,” explains Kinney. “It’s interesting how people project themselves into the photo, but this one is different, even many locals are surprised to learn that this was taken right here in Avila.” SLO LIFE