Tag Archives: big sur

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

Monterey Cypress, Allan Memorial Grove

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Monterey Cypress, Allan Memorial Grove

Monterey Cypress, Allan Memorial Grove. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 21, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Beneath the canopy on a foggy afternoon in the Monterey Cypress forest at Allan Memorial Grove, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

I am always intrigued by the patterns of the trunks and lower branches of the Monterey cypress trees when I walk through the Allen Memorial Grove at Point Lobos. I’m also intrigued – and challenged – by the nearly monochromatic nature of the scene, especially when fog mutes the light as it did on this afternoon. On the other hand, the fog also softens and diffuses the light and decreases the contrast between the light parts of the trees and the shadows.

It was in such conditions that I made this photograph in August on a very foggy – and getting foggier! – late afternoon. When I made the exposure I was pretty sure I would make a black and white print from this scene but I also kept open the option of a color version. When I worked up the two versions later I was surprised that to find that I liked this color version more than expected, so I made prints of both the color and black and white versions and lived with them a bit.

In the end I decided that the black and white version works best… I think. I’ll post it next. (I also have to point out that this photograph relies a lot of the inclusion of a ton of fine detail that just plain isn’t going to be visible in the small jpg version I can post online. Ah, well!)

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

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keywords: monterey, cypress, tree, forest, grove, trunk, group, branch, afternoon, fog, pattern, point, lobos, state, reserve, california, usa, peninsula, big sur, carmel, pacific, coast, ocean, nature, flora, park, allen, memorial, trail, hike, walk, landscape, travel, scenic, stick, twig, stock

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

Pacific Ocean, Rocks, and Clearing Fog

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Pacific Ocean, Rocks, and Clearing Fog

Pacific Ocean, Rocks, and Clearing Fog. Big Sur Coastline, California. July 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Offshore rocks and clearing fog above the Pacific Ocean, Big Sur coastline, California.

Over the past few years I have a made a series of what I think of as “minimalist seascapes” that feature mostly straight-on views of the Pacific Ocean along the California coast, often with fog or clouds and various patterns on the water. As we drove south down the Big Sur coastline last at the start of the Fourth of July weekend I spotted the fog starting to break up over this section of almost completely still water – and I imposed on my wife to stop while I set up the tripod and made a few exposures. (I make it almost a rule to not do landscape photography while I’m with family. My work habits would drive any sane person completely nuts!)

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

keywords: big sur, california, usa, seascape, landscape, minimalist, rock, surf, wave, foam, blue, kelp, sea, weed, ocean, pacific, reflection, gray, fog, bank, sky, morning, distant, surface, swell, highway, one, coast, coastline, summer, clearing, travel, scenic, stock, foam, wave

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

Egret, China Cove

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Egret, China Cove

Egret, China Cove. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. December 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An egret in flight over China Cove – last evening of autumn 2008, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

On the last evening of fall 2008 I visited Point Lobos to photograph whatever I might see there. Late in the day I walked along the trail above China Beach and spotted a solitary egret in the kelp just beyond the beach. The cove was in deep shade and I had a long lens attached to the camera and was set to the lowest ISO when the bird took off – so I had no choice but to shoot with what I had. There was little time to think and no time to make changes to camera settings. I managed to get a few exposures as the bird rose into the air above the kelp beds, but they turned out to be quite underexposed as I was caught between the rock of low light and the hard place of needing short enough shutter speeds for a moving bird in a dark cove. In this one image the bird’s wings are extended and it is passing out of a dark section of the cove and over slightly brighter water.

To me, the nearly pure white bird, slightly diffused by the odd exposure and over the darker water, seems like a ghost or an apparition. Although it is not anything like a technically “correct” photograph, I still like it for what it is.

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

keywords: big sur, california, carmel, Fall, monterey, nature, ocean, pacific ocean, point lobos, seashore, bird, in flight, egret, wing, china cove, kelp, water, state, reserve, park, usa, travel, scenic, landscape, black and white, monterey, peninsula, carmel, big sur, stock

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

Two Pelicans in Flight, Point Lobos

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Two Pelicans in Flight, Point Lobos

Two Pelicans in Flight, Point Lobos. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. January 25, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two pelicans in flight against the winter clouds at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

Yes, another shot of pelicans in flight – and it won’t be the last! I can’t get enough of these wonderful birds. This pair was among those I earlier described as coasting slowly along right next to a bluff just north of Bird Island at Point Lobos.

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

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