Tag Archives: beach

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.

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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.

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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

Headlands, Cliffs, and Winter Surf

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Headlands, Cliffs, and Winter Surf
Wiinter surf breaks along a wide beach at the base of coiastal cliffs and headlands, Big Sur Coast.

Headlands, Cliffs, and Winter Surf. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Winter surf breaks along a wide beach at the base of coiastal cliffs and headlands, Big Sur Coast.

Even after decades of exploring and photographing along this section of the California coast, I still find new viewpoints on almost every visit. I don’t know that there is an actual infinity of such places, but there surely are enough of them to keep one busy for an entire lifetime. As I drive along the Coast Highway I’m constantly on the lookout — sometimes to the distress of my passengers — for a new pull-out, a trail leading toward the bluffs, a high point that might provide a view, a variation on a view that I’m familiar with.

On this January visit I passed this area twice as the result of looping back to check out another possible location. So when I approached the second time I was thinking about this wide beach and trying to spot a place that might overlook it. I stopped and made a short walk out to this camera position — staying even farther than usual away from cliff edges, given their less-than-reliable condition after all of the recent rain!

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Cliffs, Beach, and Winter Surf

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Cliffs, Beach, and Winter Surf
Coastal cliffs, beach and winter surf near Rocky Point, Big Sur Coast.

Cliffs, Beach, and Winter Surf. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Coastal cliffs, beach and winter surf near Rocky Point, Big Sur Coast.

In an earlier post describing another photograph from this recent visit to the Big Sur coast I mentioned that it included virtually all of the features found in “typical”many landscape photograph from this location, with the point arguably being, “what more could I ask for?”. The truth about this visit was a bit more complicated. It was, indeed, a wonderful morning on the coast — but it also was not exactly easy photography. There were objective challenges posed by the recent heavy rains and the closures and damage they brought. But the light was also a challenge, especially when the haze became thick.

However, that same haze did thin from time to time, transforming dull and flat light into something soft and lovely — directional sunlight muted by passing through high clouds and thin fog. I spent a bit of time at the location of this photograph, and during much of it the fog was thick enough to choke off that light. But for a moment or two the fog shifted and thinned and there was enough light to create shadows and open up the scene a bit.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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