Have you even seen the ocean or see glowing in the dark? This phenomenon called luminescence. You can see bioluminescence in several places around Caribbean including Puerto Rico and US Virgin islands. as well as in Southern California. Here are some tips on where and how to photograph bioluminescence in San Diego.
What is bio luminescence lighting?
Bioluminescence lighting caused by large concentration of microorganisms or phytoplankton that glow in the dark. The water just looks dirty red(or brown) during the day, especially when seen through polarized sun glasses. Microorganism produce produces beautiful bright blue glow that looks like a light show at night. The glow flows from one wave to another combining into large bright blue lines.
You can read more about red tide phenomena here
How long does bioluminescence lighting lasts?
This phenomena takes place in San Diego almost every year and last from several days up to 3-4 weeks. 2019 bioluminescence lighting was visible just for couple of weeks while we were able to enjoy blue glow in the ocean from the beach every night in 2011 for almost four weeks.
It all depends on rainy season duration, the density of the microorganisms in the water and other water conditions.
When can you see it in San Diego?
Again, it depends on the weather, rain and many other conditions, but usually bioluminescence lighting visible in San Diego between late April and late September. Sometimes the lighting is super strong and lasts for several weeks. Some years the lighting is only visible on high resolution pictures.
What time of the day can you see the blue glow?
About 45 minute to an hour after sunset you start seeing some random splashes of blue water. The glow gets really bright about an hour and 15 minutes after the sunset.
Where to photograph bioluminescence in San Diego?
The general idea here is to stay about 40-100 ft away from the light. While majority of the beaches in San Diego have lights, you can still find darker area to take pictures.
The best places to take pictures of the bioluminescence lighting are Scripps Pier, Children’s Pool Observation Deck, Solana Beach, Seagrove park in Del Mar and Crystal Pier.
What to bring.
- A jacket. I know it is San Diego, but it gets colder when the sun goes down, so it’s a good idea to have a light jacket or a hoodie or a scarf
- A camera ( or your phone )
- A tripod. This is obvious. Even if you are taking pictures with iPhone, the tripod will significantly improve the quality of your photos.
- A face mask ( hopefully this time will be over soon). This is our new reality. I guess, it’s time to add face mask to all my packing lists.
How to photograph bioluminescence.
Camera settings.
The main idea here is to use long exposure, the longer the better. I had success photographing on 10 seconds. Try 10 seconds and then increase it to 30 seconds or even a minute.
Use high ISO to let as much light in as possible and wide aperture f/2.8.
iPhone
Use manual mode. You can download the apps that allows you to use manual mode. My favorite is Lightroom. Turn off the flash and use wide aperture of f/2.8 or even try f/1.8 if you can (IPhone 11 and IPhone 11 Pro have the settings to change the aperture).
When using Lightroom, play with build-in presets. I had really good pictures taken with Flat and High Contrast presets.
iPhone video
The video is less sensitive to the motion. I have very decent quality videos recordings just by holding the phone in my hands without the tripod. Change the camera settings to shoot 4 k at 60 fps. Keep in mind those videos will be huge. So, you will need to make sure that you have enough space available in your phone.
How to photograph bioluminescence in San Diego
Final thoughts.
I have seen and photographed the bright blue luminescent glow many times and every time I go it still looks magical to me. Whether you are taking pictures or just want to watch the bioluminescence lighting, this phenomenon totally worth driving to the ocean during late night.
