Category Archives: Photographs: Northern California

Photographs from Northern California

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

The White Stone

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The White Stone
“The White Stone” — A white stone rests among many-colored pebbles, Point Lobos.

I had a free morning in mid-April, so I headed over to Point Lobos, barely more than an hour’s drive from here. I might have gone on down the Big Sur coast, but road washouts have closed that route for now. So Point Lobos it was! I arrived to gray weather — high fog and not much in the way of interesting, directional light. But eventually the clouds began to pull back toward the coast and soft, directional light appeared.

Point Lobos always rewards a slower pace. There’s a lot to see here, and even more to see if you linger and start to notice things that you might miss by passing through quickly. The edges of this cove are lined with rocky strata that gradually dip into the water. Winter surf pushes all sorts of interesting stuff up onto the shoreline, and I enjoy walking slowly here and seeing what I can find. The small colorful pebbles are everywhere, but the larger white rock was the special find.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Winter Surf, Clearing Sky

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Winter Surf, Clearing Sky
“Winter Surf, Clearing Sky” — Skies clear above winter surf as a Pacific Coast storm dissipates.

This photograph of winter surf and clearing sky was the culmination of a day-long weather transition. We heard reports of record-high surf along the Pacific coast, so we headed right over to see it. When we arrived, the surf was huge, but it was raining, producing a dark and ominous scene. As the day wore on those clouds began to thin, and before long the sun began to poke through. By the time I made this photograph there was more sun than shadow.

The surf is the main character in this scene. As we watched from the shore, the waves rose to impressive heights in the distance, producing monumental spray as the crashed ashore. But the light was nearly as interesting. This close to the water, the mist-filled atmosphere had a glowing, luminous quality.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Winter Surf and Clouds

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Winter Surf and Clouds
“Winter Surf and Clouds” — Raging winter storm surf and cloudy skies near Pigeon Point, California.

If you visited this beach, located south of San Francisco, on a sunny summer day you would be tempted to wander the sand, perhaps wade into the surf, or even go for swim. But this was not that day. Between Christmas and New Year’s Day stormy weather in the Gulf of Alaska sent huge swells toward the California coast. Waves topped thirty feet and were close to that here. The furthest waves in the distance in this photograph were just plain huge.

It was cloudy and trying to rain when we arrived. But the storm was passing and the clouds soon began to thin. Beams of light broke through, and it wasn’t long before blue sky appeared. But the surf continued to rage, and as the waves broke they rolled up onto and across the beach — a place where you definitely did not want to stand on this afternoon.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Winter Storm Surf

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Winter Storm Surf
“Winter Storm Surf” — Giant winter storm waves crash ashore along the Northern California coast.

At one point while photographing the late-December winter storm surf along California’s coastline, I momentarily hit the light jackpot. While the far horizon was still dark and stormy, a break in the shoreline clouds cast bright sunlight on the surf crashing onto this beach. On a typical day the largest waves here would be more like the one at the bottom of the frame. On this day the biggest waves were huge and loud and sent spray far inland.

Many of us head straight to the coast when conditions like these arise. It is a spectacular thing and not to be missed. At the same time, authorities issue lots of warnings about the dangers. The dangers are real and you certainly want to keep your distance from the sea when it behaves like this. But with a degree of caution you can — and should! — safely watch the show.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.