Photographers Flock to Manhattan Beach Sunset Events
Nov 16, 2023 09:51AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Photo credit: Haidi Kordic
The November 14 sunset - notable for being one of two days that the sunset aligns perfectly with the Light Gate sculpture and the Manhattan Beach Pier - drew photographers and sunset enthusiasts to Manhattan Beach on Tuesday.
Now, not that any of us would EVER complain about a sunset at the beach, but... some cloud cover prevented the keyhole sunset from being truly epic.
Nevertheless, that didn't prevent folks from congregating at Light Gate on Highland Ave. as well as the Manhattan Beach Pier.
A crowd of 50 or so people gathered around the Light Gate sculpture in relatively orderly fashion, forming a line to take individual pictures through the "keyhole" as the sun was setting.
Down at the pier, two dozen or so photographers gathered to capture "Pierhenge" - the date when the sunset lines up with the opening between the pier pilings.
Local photographer Evelyn Schmitt said that she waited for other sunset enthusiasts to finish their photos before she set up to get her ideal shot.
Nevertheless, her "post-sunset" photo was still a work of art.
(Photo credit: Evelyn Schmitt)For those who wonder why it needs to be the exact date of November 14, Schmitt offered a comparison "Pierhenge" sunset photo from one day earlier (November 13) - as seen below. There, you can see that the sun is setting just a teeny bit shy of perfect center.
(Photo credit: Evelyn Schmitt)Also for comparison, Schmitt said that on November 13 the clouds and sunset put on a magnificent show over Palos Verdes - so clearly, you don't always need to grab that keyhole photo to get a beautiful picture.
(Photo credit: Evelyn Schmitt)Anyone who missed the November 14 sunset will have another chance to view the phenomenon soon. The Light Gate and Pierhenge sunset spectacles return on January 27. (And remember, any day between now and then is just as likely to be spectacular, as winter sunrises and sunsets tend to be more colorful than other times of the year.)
