I am fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwestern region of the United States. Within a single day's drive, I can access an incredible diversity of geography and geology – everything from the snowcapped and glaciated peaks of the Rocky Mountains and northern Sierras to the old-growth rain forests and waterfalls of the Cascades as well as the arid high desert plains of Oregon and rolling wheat fields of eastern Washington. And, as icing on the cake, there is the entire rugged coastline of Washington, Oregon and northern California.

Ancient lava flows meet the sea here to form miles of cliffs, sea caves and sea stacks. I've been fortunate to spend several evenings and mornings scouting and shooting this remote but accessible coastline. This particular image was captured at Second Beach, part of Olympic National Park.

A frequently photographed location, I was looking for a composition that captured a unique perspective of its beauty, incorporating the beach, water and rock formations in an integrated, complementary way. The early evening light was fairly flat due to a predominantly overcast sky. However, as the sun was setting, there were just enough gaps in the overcast to provide a hint of color and illumination to the scene.

I shot several images that were reasonable efforts but just didn't seem to capture the drama I was hoping for. And then, as often seems to occur when we are patient enough to wait for it, the moment occurred. The clouds parted just long enough for bright beams of sunlight to shine through the light coastal haze, illuminating the scene with a soft golden glow and backlighting the sea stack and its crown of trees before me. I am thankful for the gift of that moment and the opportunity to share it here.