In the Field: Photo Blog by Richard Wong

Photography field reports by Richard Wong. Richard’s work has been published in magazines, books, advertising, and offers fine art prints of his work. Images may be licensed as rights-managed stock photos by contacting Richard directly at Richard@rwongphoto.com or (626) 422-6151. California stock photography, fine art prints, photo blog: www.rwongphoto.com

Malibu’s Finest Beach 2-24-06

Posted on | February 26, 2006 | No Comments

El Matador State Beach is lesser-known than some of Malibu’s more famous beaches such as Zuma Beach but much more scenic. Total speculation here on my part but I think the relative seclusion has to do with the fact you can’t see El Matador State Beach from the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) unlike Malibu’s more crowded beaches and because it is a dangerous place to surf. To reach the beach you have to take a trail then down a series of metal stairs down a steep hillside. Once there you’re greeted with huge sea stacks and possibly marine life if it’s low tide. Luckily for me it was low tide when I visited.

Mussels on Sea Stack at Low Tide, El Matador State Beach, Malibu, California

On my previous two visits four years ago it was high tide so I wasn’t aware of the amazing array of species hidden beneath the ocean waves. I’d seen stock photos that portrayed El Matador State Beach in a more pristine manner than I’d remembered so I knew there was more to be discovered here.

I met an out-of-town couple from Massachusetts there whom were in town for a wedding and the guy glowingly raved about how he’d never seen such impressive wildlife before on a beach. He stated that he was amazed at how everything in California seemed on a bigger scale than the East Coast. I can’t say that I blame him there. Whenever I travel outside of the West, I’m usually a bit shell-shocked at how flat the landscape is.

Sea Stars, green anemone, and mussels at El Matador State Beach, Malibu, California

El Matador is popular for model photography such as Sports Illustrated style shooting. Each time I’ve been there I’ve seen numerous models on a serious photo shoot on the sea stacks. There’s also a Michelle Branch video for her song, Breathe which I’m almost certain was shot here due to the un-mistakable huge sea stack on the beach that kept reoccurring in the video. This visit was no different as there was a 30 foot RV in the parking lot with music blasting and lawn chairs strewn all over. Down on the beach there were several people setting up for the shoot with a girl or two. The north end of the beach is a nude beach, but just as pristine for wildlife as the rest of it.

Panoramic Picture of El Matador State Beach, Malibu, California

Notes:
1. Go during low tide. The beach looks dramatically more impressive during these conditions.
2. Bring a polarizer.
3. Bring a camera flash. Tide pools are dark and a lot of good stuff is under the rocks so a good flash will bring out the details.
4. Bring a telephoto lens- birds such as brown pelicans frequent the area.
5. Don’t remove anything from the rocks.

See more of my Southern California coast pictures.

Category: Malibu
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