Octang Frye

I was in California this weekend for an event (Hollywood, Los Angeles and San Pedro).
What is it about the light in California that makes everything look so vibrant?
There's quality to the light I can't really describe. It's a soft, lazy light, but at the same time all the colors look so strong and clear. I've been up and down California over the years and for some reason, the light is just exquisite.

Anyone have an explanation? I assume it's sea air, coupled with the latitude etc.

scrubbedexpat099

Smog?

GeoffM

I would say it's 2nd hand marijuana making you high but then you come from the mile high state with its own Colorado lettuce so the joke doesn't work.

scrubbedexpat099

I am nearer 2 miles high.

Steve_

I agree it's probably smog, I notice the same thing in Las Vegas, caused by all the dust from the desert in the air, although it's probably a bit of smog as well. Possibly you've got sand from the beaches in the air.

dc koop

Denver gets smoggy in summer. Bin there.

scrubbedexpat099

You can see it coming down on a bad day, looks like a blanket on top of the city.

GeoffM

Not smog this time one time I was on Amtrak, eastbound into Denver after sunset. The taller buildings were sticking out of the clouds, sparkling in the distance under the stars, but in between the front range that we were slowly descending and the city itself was just a blanket of cloud. Eventually we sunk deeper and deeper into the cloud. Very memorable.

scrubbedexpat099

I often see it the other way around, climbing back up through the clouds and out into the clear.

dc koop

You can always tell a car from Colorado. It's the one with all the dings in the roof from the golf ball sized hailstones

md95065

Hmm - I can't say that I have ever noticed this, but then we really don't have "smog" in the San Francisco Bay Area - just "fog" and when the fog come in then it's just cold and foggy ...

scrubbedexpat099

Not in the Mountains. A flatlander issue.

dc koop

A quick jog up Pikes Peak on a Sunday morning before breakfast

scrubbedexpat099

I prefer the Train.

scrubbedexpat091

I am from So. California and go there a lot but spend most of my time in the far southern part of the state south of LA area so maybe there isnt enough smog as I have never noticed this lighting thing being mentioned.

San Diego has some smog but nothing like LA.