Staring westward from the top of Windy Hill, California… the sun sets over an endless fog-covered Pacific Ocean.

I often title my photos based on feelings or emotions evoked while I was there. Not this one. In fact, I don’t believe I even took this photo in summer. Furthermore, I didn’t even post-process and publish this photo until about ten years after I took it. Nothing about it really struck me at the time. But now, almost a decade later, it strikes me deeply. I think the title “Summertime Sadness” fits from an aesthetic standpoint… the bright sun and clear sky, the lens flares, the overall sepia hue. But for the, the title fits even better from an emotional standpoint. To me, this photo perfectly embodies an afternoon in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A place where I spent many hours of my time (Windy Hill and Russian Ridge in particular). Rediscovering this photo after so many years have passed, and having since moved away from California, it is soaked with nostalgia and, in a way, sadness. Not a deep lingering sadness. That phase of life had run its course and is full of happy memories, not regrets. Rather just a fleeting sadness of good times gone past.

Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 4359×2893). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

Purchase “Summertime Sadness – Sunset From Windy Hill, California” Fine Art Print: