There are two lighthouses in Santa Cruz that are interesting and beautiful to photograph.  One is the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse in Lighthouse Field State Beach on west Cliff Drive and the other is the Walton Lighthouse near Twin Lakes State Beach.  You can easily shoot both of them in one morning (or evening).  Here’s how.

The Mark Abbott lighthouse is just a few miles from downtown Santa Cruz.  Cliff Drive is very busy at all times, but especially sunrise and sunset.  There are few parking lots so be patient.  It is well worth the effort.  Since Mary and I got out in the mid-morning, we shot exclusively with our infrared cameras.  It is also crowded with a lot of surfers and walkers so if you do not want people in your photos, more patience is needed.

The Walton Lighthouse is across the Santa Cruz Bay and is a short drive away.  Again, there is only one parking lot, but it was significantly less crowded than the Mark Abbott.

I think it is kind of cool that you can see the Mark Abbott lighthouse in the background.

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