The rocks at the southernmost tip of the Baja California Sur in Mexico can literally make you feel like you're on another planet.  The jagged formations juxtaposed with smooth, curvy surfaces of rocks, beaten upon by the ocean for thousands of years, make you question your own existence and highlight how insignificant you can feel standing next to them.  To try to capture the feeling, I woke up at about 5:30 AM on my vacation to trek about half a mile from my resort across the beach to get some shots in the morning light.  I used my Joby Gorillapod tripod to keep my Nikon D800E steady for the low light and low ISO shots.  For those of you who are terrified to take your thousands of dollars of equipment within 50 yards of the ocean, just remember that you have to take some risks to get the shot.  And be sure you have insurance.  I haven't had to cash in on mine yet, but knowing it's there allows me to de-stress and focus more on the adventure of getting the shot I want.

~Karen