About Carol Matre

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"What about the winter side, the side when people usually don't go that much?" Carol Matre, 61, asked herself when considering Princeton-by-the-Sea, a community near Half Moon Bay.

"It's funny because our winters are actually nicer than our summer because they are actually very foggy."

"I like the quiet side. To me, it's peaceful," she said. "I thought I'd like to capture that."

Matre, a Los Altos resident, often visits Princeton.

"When I go to the beach, that's often where I go to walk," she said. "You can hear the fog horns at night."

Part of the location's feel is reflected in the blur and the color in the photograph, she said.

"I like to take the edge off of reality, and soften it. I guess you can call it romantic."

Matre grew up in California and has always loved the ocean. As for photography, it's a hobby and a way to connect with people, she said.

"It's got so much," she said. "It's mentally stimulating; it's aesthetically pleasing. It's socializing with other people who share the same interests. It's very exciting, very fun."

She got started in photography as a teenager when her aunt gave her a camera. The two had the same model camera and would take pictures together, she said.

Now Matre paints, makes jewelry and knits -- in addition to doing photography.

"It's just another way to express myself; it's just making something," she said.

--Susan Hong