Glass Beach
Glass Beach is a narrow stretch of shoreline near Port Allen where decades of ocean tumbling have smoothed discarded glass into rounded, jewel-like pieces that cover the sand in shades of green, brown, amber, and the occasional rare blue or red. For photography, get low and close with a macro or short telephoto lens to isolate clusters of glass against wet sand, or pull back with a wide angle to show the full textured shoreline with the Pacific as your backdrop. The best light comes in the morning when the sun is lower and raking across the beach, bringing out the translucency and color of the glass without harsh midday shadows. Overcast days work surprisingly well here too, giving you soft, even light that saturates the colors. Wear shoes you do not mind getting wet, as the tide moves in quickly, and low tide gives you the most exposed glass to work with. (Eleele, Kauai, Hawaii, United States)
