Carkeek Park
Carkeek Park is a hidden gem on Seattle's Puget Sound shoreline, where a wide pebbly beach backed by driftwood logs frames sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains across the water. The scattered driftwood is your greatest compositional tool here, giving you natural foreground interest that adds depth and scale to mountain and sunset shots. Sunset is the prime time to visit, as the sun drops directly behind the Olympics and produces dramatic silhouettes and warm color across the Sound; arrive 30 to 45 minutes early to scout your foreground arrangement while there is still enough light to work with. A wide angle lens in the 16 to 24mm range handles the broad scene well, though a short telephoto can compress the mountains and make them feel more imposing. The beach is accessible via a pedestrian tunnel under the railroad tracks, and low tide gives you more open sand and exposed rocks to work with. (Seattle, Washington, United States)
