“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”
— Dorothea Lange
When the Fog Forgot Itself, Pebble Beach, CA, 2011
There are mornings at Shepherds Knoll when even the fog seems unsure of its purpose. It drifts in, half-hearted and indecisive, wrapping itself lazily around the pine branches as though trying to remember whether it came to conceal or reveal. The trees, tall, patient, and slightly exasperated, play along, pretending not to notice the fog’s indecision.
In this world of diffused grays and amber whispers, time doesn’t pass; it hovers. The forest feels like a secret meeting place for things that have no business being remembered, unspoken words, half-felt dreams, and stories that almost mattered. Spanish moss hangs like quiet applause from the limbs, and you can almost hear it sigh, “Again?” as the mist begins another one of its rehearsals for eternity.
Somewhere between the branches, a lone observer, perhaps the artist himself, lingers. Not to capture, but to listen. For in the hush of Shepherds Knoll, the forest doesn’t tell stories directly; it hums them. I try to translate those hums into images that feel like déjà vu, moments we recognize not from memory, but from longing.
What I like about this scene is its layered composition that draws the eye through veils of atmosphere. The faint glow behind the trees functions as both promise and hesitation, a quiet negotiation between light and shadow. The lichen and moss draping from the branches add texture to the silence, transforming the forest into a stage for introspection.
This image works for me because it captures ambiguity with intention. The viewer is never quite sure whether the fog is arriving or departing, whether it conceals tragedy or serenity. That ambiguity mirrors my artistic philosophy, my desire to evoke rather than define, to invite interpretation rather than command it.
There’s also a dry humor beneath the stillness: nature performing its daily drama while the artist, ever the reluctant participant, simply observes the absurd grace of it all.
Artist’s Statement
I often find myself drawn to moments that feel uncertain, when light hesitates, when sound pauses, when nature seems to be thinking. This image was born out of that space in between, where nothing is resolved but everything is alive. For me, art isn’t about clarity. It is about resonance. Shepherds Knoll offered me that rare gift: a landscape that whispers, laughs quietly at itself, and then disappears before I can fully understand it.
About Shepherds Knoll, Pebble Beach
Shepherds Knoll is one of the lesser-known scenic stops along the 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, California. Perched high above Monterey Bay, it offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, when the fog allows. The name dates back to the early 20th century, referencing the sheep that once grazed these coastal hills when Pebble Beach was part of the Del Monte Forest’s working ranchlands. Today, the knoll remains a tranquil lookout, often shrouded in mist and frequented by photographers seeking the ethereal interplay of light and atmosphere. On many mornings, the fog drifts inland from the bay, creating fleeting tableaux like the one captured here, where silence seems to breathe.