Pacific Coast Highway at Point Sur

Pacific Coast Highway at Point Sur
“Pacific Coast Highway at Point Sur” — The Pacific Coast Highway traverses the Big Sur coast at Point Sur.

It was supposed to be foggy along the coast, but when I arrived on this mid-August day the fog bank had already pulled offshore, and the coast was bathed in bright sunlight. The light was clear but still a bit soft, and somehow the colors of the water were deeper than usual — perhaps the effect of a slightly darker horizon and possibly the light coming from behind my left shoulder. The Little Sur River enters the ocean via the long beach, while the distant prominence is Point Sur, the location of a historic lighthouse station.

In many places along the Pacific Coast Highway in the greater Big Sur region, Highway 1 is high above the water, running along level places at the top of tremendous drop-offs. But occasionally, often where large valleys reach the coast, the road descends to just above the beaches and provides a more intimate view of the ocean.


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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A Window In York

A Window In York
“A Window In York” — Looking out of a window in the Shambles, York, England.

We made a short, two-night stop in York on our train trip from Edinburgh to London. York isn’t exactly an unvisited place, but it is on a smaller scale than the other two cities and was a pleasant respite from the big city vibe of those locations. We had lovely lodgings on a side street, and it was only a short walk across a bridge into the older part of town. We walked over there on this morning looking for breakfast, and we ended up at this “scone shop” in the Shambles.

Yes, the Shambles. If you don’t already know, that description in the English language (“What a shambles!”) derives from this area of York, where tiny businesses crowd together in shops and stalls along very narrow streets. This scone shop was quite small, but the scones were delicious! On the first floor there was barely room for the two of us to stand at the small counter and place our order, and the upstairs eating areas were not much larger. We settled in at a table beneath this windows that provided a view over the nearby neighborhood.


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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Fog, Headlands, Pacific Ocean

Fog, Headlands, Pacific Ocean
“Fog, Headlands, Pacific Ocean” — Headlands drop to the edge of the foggy Pacific Ocean coastline at Point Lobos.

This photograph captures several characteristic features of Point Lobos State Reserve and perhaps a bit of the experience of visiting. I photographed from a trail along the north shore of the reserve on a very foggy morning. At times the fog was low enough to partially obscure the view, but here it had risen along the shoreline to offer a clear view of headlands, a cove, a small island, Monterey cypress trees, and the Pacific Ocean disappearing into distant fog.

I learn or discover new things on every visit to Point Lobos, despite having gone there for decades. Each time I find different ways to photograph it, and new perspectives that I had somehow missed in the past. I also learn new things, including some I’m astonished to realize that I didn’t know. In another post of a photograph from this visit I shared that it wasn’t until this summer that I realized that these familiar coves all have names! The one in the center of this photograph is “Cypress Cove.”


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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Arches and Columns

Arches and Columns
“Arches and Columns” — Arches and columns at Glasgow University.

Serendipity brought us to these arches and columns during our visit to Glasgow. As we often do, we headed out on foot in the morning with only a general idea of where we were headed — essentially in the direction of the West End. We knew there was a museum along the way that we wanted to visit, but that was about it. As we approached, the impressive Gothic tower at Glasgow University dominated the skyline, and we decided to investigate.

There are modern buildings here, but this central Gothic structure, built around inner courtyards, caught out attention. At first we admired it from outside, but then I saw an entrance and thought “why not?” We walked in, wandered a bit, and eventually found these arches and columns over a walkway between the courtyards.


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

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