23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Santa Monica Sepia

This sepia-toned image from Santa Monica State Beach, on a cool January day, captures the vast, evocative emptiness where ocean meets land. Even near a metropolis, the powerful sun and dramatic clouds convey a profound sense of natural solitude and grandeur.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2025
Date Uploaded: 10.2025
Photo Location: Santa Monica, California, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Copyright: © Steve Smith