Wickaninnish Beach

Wickaninnish Beach is a long, wild sweep of pale sand in Pacific Rim National Park, out on the open west coast of Vancouver Island between Ucluelet and Tofino. This stunning beach is backed by big sand dunes, piles of weathered driftwood, and dark temperate rainforest, along with the open Pacific rolling in and headlands framing the bay. It is a beach that gives you a lot to work with, from the endless curve of sand and the tangled silver logs to the dunes in the north and the rocky shelves dotted with tide pools down at the south end. At low tide the wet flat sand turns into a giant mirror, perfect for reflecting the sky and catching driftwood and dune shapes against it, so work low to the ground and use the reflections. A wide lens is perfect to use here for the sweeping sand, the dunes, big skies, and foreground driftwood. You can experiment with using a longer lens to compress the headlands and the distant mountains off to the north across the bay on clear days, or to pick out surfers, and a slow shutter smooths the surf nicely. This is a west-facing beach, so low tide and sunset are the two best times to be here, or ideally when both happen together. The sun drops straight into the ocean and lights up the wet sand and sky. Although grey, stormy days can deliver moody driftwood and surf shots that suit this coast just as well. Access is easy off the Pacific Rim Highway on Wick Road, with several big parking lots, washrooms, and short trails or boardwalks down to the sand. A park day use permit is required and there are pay machines at the lots so don't forget to buy one before heading down to the beach or you may get ticketed. Make sure to keep an eye on the tide and the rip currents, since the water here can be a bit unpredictable and there are no lifeguards. After you are done shooting here take some extra time to head to the south along the short forest walk over to capture South Beach with its black cobbles, rock formations, and pounding surf. (Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada)