HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA or SURF CITY, USA is a fabulous place to take pictures 

Huntington Beach Pier Plaza Farmer's Market and Art Fair pictured at sunset is reminiscent of the City's tent city days approximately 100 years ago.  That was when tourists and travelers came to the beach, camping out in tents. Camping in tents at Huntington Beach has not been possible for many years, unfortunately. Still, vendors are permitted to set up tents to sell their wares on the north side of Huntington Beach Pier every Friday except during special events. Huntington Beach Farmer's Market and Art Fair was voted by local media as the most scenic Southern California outdoor weekly market. The location at Pier Plaza affords views of the Huntington Beach Pier, Pacific Ocean and on many days, Catalina Island 22 miles west.

For photographers and travelers in Huntington Beach, there are some great photo labs to develop your film in an hour but none in the Main Street downtown region. Disposable film cameras and film are sold in shops along the street, however. Stores where we've seen film include Beach Island, Zack's Concessions, Surf City Deli and Surf City Store. Film processing is available nearby at Seacliff Shopping Center at Albertson's or at EJ's Photo at 5 Points Plaza. For our business needs, we have converted primarily to digital and travel with a Dell notebook computer and a Western Digital 250 Gig hard drive. The two combined fit in a suitcase easily and still allow room for clothing. 

Sunsets during the Huntington Beach summer range from 7 to 8 p.m. In October before Daylight Savings Time, the sunsets occur at around 6 p.m. There's a good 20 minute window of opportunity to take photos before the sun is out of view. Even after it has disappeared, the sky can put on a show of colors. And finally, if you stay longer, the lights of the pier come on and believe it or not, you can still get some awesome photos from the south side of the pier.

About the photographer: Debbie Stock is an award winning photographer, webmaster and press/public relations professional in Huntington Beach, California. She has provided photos to State of California Visitor Guides, six Huntington Beach Visitor Guides and calendars, postcards, brochures, newspapers, magazines and more. Her most recent credit is an international award for her team efforts in building the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau website, which she worked on for two years as a full time communications manager at the CVB. You can contact her at 714.847.3277 or send mail to California Travel News, PO Box 947, Sunset Beach, CA 90742. Stock's photos are all copyrighted and may not be used for other websites or publishing purposes per the U. S. Copyright Act.