Wake Up Before Sunrise And Explore The Oceano Dunes, It’s Worth It
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
Some stops on this trip were about the people, the surf, or the town itself. This one was about being completely alone with a camera before the sun came up. The Oceano Dunes, just outside Pismo Beach, gave me some of the most stunning images I captured on the entire Pacific Coast Highway, and I had almost the entire place to myself to get them.
Getting In the Quiet Way
There are a few different ways to access these dunes. Most people go in from the beach side, where vehicles are allowed and the crowds tend to gather. I went in from the backside instead, where no vehicles are permitted at all. That means you park, and you walk. It's a small extra effort that pays off in a big way, because almost nobody else makes the trip in from that direction.
I left before sunrise and walked out into the dunes in near darkness, just me and my camera, heading toward a landscape I couldn't fully see yet. There's something about that walk, not knowing exactly what you're heading into, that makes the payoff hit even harder once the light shows up.
Why Morning Light Changes Everything Here
If you're a photographer, this is the detail that matters most. The way morning light hits these dunes is unlike almost anywhere else on this route. The low angle of the sun carves deep shadows into every ridge and slope, and suddenly the whole landscape is contrast and texture. Leading lines show up everywhere, curving dune ridges pulling your eye straight through the frame.
This is one of those rare, idyllic locations where the conditions almost do the work for you. You just have to show up early enough to catch it.
Here’s What Lives In My Gear Bag:
Sony a7r4; my work horse
Sony a7s3; mostly for video work like solo-filmmaking documentary
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
A Small Bonus Most People Don't Know
From what I understand, drones are allowed on this side of the dunes, which is different from the state park side just next door, where they're restricted. If that's accurate for when you're visiting, it's worth checking current rules before you fly, since regulations like this can shift. But if drones are permitted, it opens up a completely different way to shoot this landscape, with wide aerial views of the dune fields that you simply can't get from the ground.
The Trick That Makes These Photos Work
One thing I'd genuinely recommend if you're bringing a camera out here: bring a person with you. Having a small human figure somewhere in the frame against these massive rolling dunes creates that small subject, big landscape effect that photographers chase. It gives scale to something that's otherwise hard to communicate in a photo. Without a person in frame, the dunes just look big. With one, they look enormous.
When the Magic Window Closes
Like a lot of great photography spots, this one comes with a time limit. Once the sun climbs higher, the light goes flat, the contrast disappears, and the temperature starts climbing fast across all that open sand. I shot through sunrise and stayed until it started getting too hot to enjoy, then packed up and headed back to the van for coffee and a slower morning.
That's the rhythm of a spot like this. You don't linger all day. You show up early, you work the light while it's dramatic, and then you let the rest of the morning be easy.
All alone in the Oceano Dunes. Follow Dalton on your favorite platform: @storiesbydalton
Worth the Early Alarm
Of everywhere I photographed along the PCH, this is one of the stops I'd tell people not to skip, and definitely not to sleep through. The Oceano Dunes reward the people willing to wake up early and walk in from the quiet side. If you only have time for one sunrise mission on this whole trip, make it this one.
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Thank you for reading this journal entry. If you have enjoyed it and have something to add, send me an email: dj@dalton-johnson.com
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The Day’s Gallery
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About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, direcot, and writer (award-winning at all three) based in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
