Keyhole Arch at Pfeiffer Beach

This image was taken at Pfieffer Beach, right in front of Keyhole Arch. To reach Pfieffer Beach, turn off of Highway 1 onto Sycamore Canyon Rd. The road is marked by an unmissable yellow sign warning "Narrow Roads". Cautiously continue down this road until reaching the Entrance to Pfieffer beach. From the parking lot (36.238132, -121.812358), head down toward the road, which will eventually take you to the beach. Reference the GPS coordinates and you'll see the keyhole from the shore.

As a result of the winter solstice occurrence, mid-December until mid-January is when the sun will line up directly with Keyhole Arch.

The sun will be blocked by the rocky formations of the keyhole during midday and the late afternoon; however, during sunset, the rays of sun will shine right through the opening, creating a surreal golden beam of light.

I recommend composing the image from an angle, which will emphasize the light coming through the keyhole even more.

Experiment with different focal lengths, as they can really change up how the image looks. For reference, I shot this image with a 70mm.

Be sure to use the rules of third to frame the light rays perfectly center in your shot.

Explore the area! Behind the beach, there's a cliff that can be accessed near the entrance of Pfieffer Beach. It's a great place to get another perspective of the water from a higher angle.