We began this assignment by being asked "What do you enjoy most about photography?" I realized that I enjoyed capturing moments that captured a certain emotion. We looked at the work of different SFMOMA photographers and I decided I wanted to capture a landscape that showed an emotion. I wanted a powerful photo that showed a new landscape, one I've never seen before.

Sunday morning at 5:37am, my brother woke me up and told me that the waves in Pacifica were increasingly high the night before. He suggested we go on a hike to see it ourselves. I realized it would be a cool new scenery to capture, so I grabbed my camera and drove to Pacifica, California along with my brother and sister. When we arrived, many of the streets were blocked off due to the damages the ocean had caused the night before. I knew I would capture incredible photos here.

Lady Riptide

Finally, I picked this photograph. I looked at Ansel Adam's "Half Dome, Thunder Cloud" taken at Yosemite Valley, CA in 1956. I decided I wanted to capture a similar emotion. His photograph showed a powerful thunder cloud behind the famous Half Dome at Yosemite. His photograph gave off an emotion of power threatening to spill. In my photograph, I captured the powerful ocean threatening to send high waves into Pacifica, CA. The night before, the ocean waves had reached into the streets, showing its power.

What was meant to be only an assignment turned into a memorable experience. I witnessed the power of the strong tides. I was also a victim of the waves. They swept me to the ground with ease. I captured photos that I found to be amazing. Although the pictures can't match up to the experience, I am in love with the pictures. They are small fragments that I will look back on. These photos hold an experience. I'll always remember Lady Riptide and her powerful waves.