Sunrise At Wollaston Beach (Quincy, MA)

Date Of Visit: December 4, 2016

Location: Quincy Shore Drive, Quincy, MA

Hours: Accessible everyday, 24 hours a day

Cost: Free

Parking: Free parking is located at the beach and in nearby lots.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes, although dogs are not supposed to be on the beach from May to September 30, although they are allowed to walk on the sidewalk along the beach year round.

Highlights: Views of the Boston skyline, pretty, long beach, great place to view sunrises and sunsets.

December isn’t usually considered beach weather.  At least, it’s not in New England.  But, some of the best sunrises and sunsets can happen any time of the year.

For this shoot, I chose to focus (no pun intended) on the clouds.  You never know what you’ll get at the beach, especially during sunrises and sunsets.  My neighborhood could be cloudless and clear.  But, when I arrive at the beach, a five minute drive from my place, it could be dark and cloudy.  Not only that but it could be bright and clear on one side of the beach, it could be quite the opposite on the other side (something I noticed during this visit).

While the clouds on this particular morning looked foreboding and the sun itself was not visible, the colors in the sky were incredible.  Often times, less is more.  Sure, the sun itself is virtually nonexistent in most of these shots but that seems to add more by letting in pink, orange and blues.   The clouds seem to be layered with rays of light poking out threw each layer.

It was a typical December day with temperatures in the 30’s.  But the wind made it feel at least 10 degrees colder.  The steel blue water rippled with the power of the wind.

The most obvious features of the beach have got to be the jetty and, of course, the Boston skyline.

Bandit, a Japanese Chin, enjoyed his morning stroll along the beach.