Category Archives: Photographs: Ocean & Coast

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

North Shore Cypress Groves, Fog

July 14, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Cypress groves in fog above calm seas along the north shore of Point Lobos State Reserve.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was in the Carmel area on this Saturday so that I could attend a lecture by John Sexton and the opening of his show at the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel. (Be sure to visit if you are in the area, and also see the Ansel Adams show at the Monterey Museum of Art.) Since I was going to be in Carmel in the late afternoon, I figured I had a good excuse to photograph in the area in the morning and then again in the evening after the show.

I arrived at Point Lobos close to opening time for the Reserve and, not surprisingly, it was foggy. The unusual element in the conditions was the ocean – it was almost dead calm with barely a wave. I tend to rush to the coast in the winter whenever the surf is going to be wild and the wind high, so the quite calm on this morning was something a bit strange for me. I set off on the North Shore trail, taking a detour over the top of Whalers Knoll, before dropping back down the the trail along the cliff tops above the surf. This photograph was taken looking back along the north shore of the park from this trail.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM at 65mm
ISO 100, f/11, 1/40 second

keywords: point, lobos, state, reserve, park, cliff, water, pacific, ocean, monterey, bay, morning, kelp, shadow, rock, rugged, cypress, forest, tree, flower, nature, landscape, seascape, rock, california, usa, north america, shore, peninsula, carmel, seashore, sea, stock

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

Point Lobos Rock Patterns #1 – July 10, 2010

July 13, 2010 G Dan Mitchell 4 Comments

Detail of patterns in eroded shoreline rocks, Point Lobos State Reserve.

I was at Point Lobos twice on July 10. I arrived fairly early in the morning just after the park opened. (It opens late – not until 9:00 a.m.) It was foggy so I spent a few hours wandering along a trail that follows along the north shore of the park, mostly traveling through open forest along the tops of cliffs. I have some photographs from this activity that I’ll post later.

In the middle of the day – still foggy! – I suspended my photograph so that I could go into Carmel and see a talk by John Sexton sponsored by the Center for Photographic Art and attend the opening of his show afterwards. (If you are in the Monterey Peninsula area you should visit this show and the Ansel Adams show at the Monterey Museum of Art.)

Following the show I headed back to Point Lobos. I had heard a weather forecast suggesting some clearing later in the day, and hope springs eternal when it comes to the hope that the coastal fog will lift! It didn’t happen. However, this meant that I had lots of soft, diffused light to work with, so I headed out to these remarkably patterned rocks just north of Weston Cove to see what I could come up with.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 100, f/16, 1/5 second

keywords: point. lobos. state. reserve. park. california. usa. north america. carmel. big. sur. monterey. peninsula. coast. shore. sea. ocean. pacific. scenic. travel. nature. geology. texture. form. shape. rock. erosion. sand. stone. sedimentary. landscape. detail. pattern. red. brown. stock

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

Pelicans Skimming the Waves

June 29, 2010 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

A flock of pelicans skims inches above the surface of the Pacific Ocean off of Waddell Creek Beach, Big Basin State Park, California.

Low flying pelicans skim just inches above the surface of the water near the shoreline at Waddell Creek Beach in Big Basin State Park along the California coastline. Having spent some time staring at these birds as they fly along the coast, I’m more and more amazed by their ability to closely track contours of beach and waves as they fly so low – they flow over this moving “terrain” like water over rocks. In this photograph the water picks up subtle light reflected by the slightly foggy evening sky beyond.

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

(Basic EXIF data may be available by “mousing over” large images in posts. Leave a comment if you want to know more.)

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

Pelicans and Surf

June 26, 2010 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

Black and white photograph of a flock of pelicans in flight just above Pacific Ocean surf at Waddell Creek Beach, Big Basin State Park, California.

Every five or ten minutes another flock of northbound pelicans descended to the water just offshore at Waddell Creek Beach at Big Basin State Park along the California coast just north of the town of Davenport. It was late and the light was diffused and subdued by high clouds and the incoming fog bank a this flock skimmed just above the surf.

(Basic EXIF data may be available by “mousing over” large images in posts. Leave a comment if you want to know more.)

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.