Location Spotlight: Bella Bella Beach (DeMolay Sandspit Reserve) on Fox Island
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Location Spotlight: Bella Bella Beach (DeMolay Sandspit Reserve)
on Fox Island
This unique rocky-beach sandspit is the place to go for sunset photos in Gig Harbor. But even better, it's one of the few locations that works best any time of the day, as long as I can put the sun at your back. The best part: the stunning driftwood! It's a photographer's dream land! And the whimsical tall sea grass looks cool at any time of the year.
When it works: any time of the day! Be aware that in the photo right below with the big family, it was cloudy so we were able to get the whole sandspit in the background. If it's sunny, these same shots won't work because the sun would be right in your face, but other shots will work.
Pros: works almost any time of day, it has fantastic driftwood, great for candids of kids climbing driftwood and throwing pebbles in the water. Works well for both low and high tides. On clear days, it is possible to get Mt Rainier in the background. Works well for both 30 and 60 minute sessions. (30 min sessions, AM times only, or weekday evenings) For 60 minute shoots, we would also have time for some photos in the small woodsy path area.
Cons: it's a short but steep walk down to the beach, so not easy for those less abled. For senior portraits, there is only a small port-a-potty to change outfits, so we would have to bring blankets to make a make-shift changing area. There is no shade, so getting really good shots can be tricky on super bright sunny days.
Examples at different times of day: Below are examples of morning clouds, 2-3pm in the sun, and at sunset...
Morning clouds:
October sunny morning (10am-12pm)
Mid day sun (these were at 3pm in late August):
These were taken 30 minutes before sunset in late August (they chose a darker modern edit):
Natural edit, sunset in Sept
