Tag Archives: beach

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

Point Sur Lighthouse Station

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Point Sur Lighthouse Station
“Point Sur Lighthouse Station” — The historic Point Sur Lighthouse Station with Pacific Ocean fog in the background.

There are several striking hills, rocks, mounds like this along California’s coast, almost isolated from land yet tenuously connected by a low peninsula. I think of them as reminders of where the coast was long ago and of the continuous eroding away of the land. This one is Point Sur, between the Carmel area and the town of Big Sur. It houses the historic Point Sur Lighthouse Station — no longer active, but today a state park.

A drive down the Big Sur Coast on the Pacific Coast Highway makes it clear how rugged and isolated is this section of California’s coast. Even today it can feel remote, and the route is subject to frequent closures due to weather and slides. When the lighthouse was established over a century ago, there was no road here, and access was generally by ship. It was not until decades later that an early road to Big Sur was established.

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

Big Sur Haze

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Big Sur Haze
“Big Sur Haze” — Summer haze along rugged Big Sur coastline, California.

I drove down the Big Sur Coast on this mid-August morning, traveling as far as the point where the road is currently closed for landslide repair. A bit north of that I pulled out at a popular overlook where I have photographed before — there is a great view down the coast and past a series of big ridges descending to the water. I almost didn’t photograph, but as I looked at the scene I became interested in smaller sections of the larger view.

Typically when I have photographed here I have worked in vertical portrait mode so that I could include the more distant curve of the coast and an interesting “natural bridge” on some rocks to the right. I’ve often trued to exclude the foreground trees, but this time I thought that they might make a good foil to the haze-muted forms and textures of the more distant coastline at the upper right.

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

Water’s Edge

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Water's Edge
“Water’s Edge” — Blue-green water and surf meet the edge of the continent, Big Sur Coast.

I called this “Water’s Edge,” but I could also have called it “Continent’s Edge.” Beyond and above this little vignette of sand and rocks and water and foam lies the entire Pacific Ocean, and behind it lies the North American continent. The location is some likely-nameless spot along the Pacific Coast Highway as it passes through the Big Sur region of Central California.

I had stopped to consider photographing something else when I happened to walk close enough to the edge of the drop-off to see all the way down to the small, rocky beach. I spent a few moments watching and photographing the constantly changing patterns where the blue-green water meets the beach.

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

Pacific Coast Highway at Point Sur

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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.

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.