They were not just shooting at the Ritz. They were staying there, which meant the whole place was theirs to move through. The Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay sits right above the Pacific, and in May the light along the California coast is some of the most generous I know.

The cliffs, the lawns, the late afternoon sky over the water. We used all of it. There was a relaxed quality to the day that comes when you are in a place you are genuinely comfortable. They were not rushing to get somewhere else. Neither was I.

Half Moon Bay has that effect on people. You slow down without deciding to.