Tag Archives: big sur

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

Winter Surf and Fog

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Winter Surf and Fog
Raging winter surf and low fog along California’s rugged Big Sur coast.

Winter Surf and Fog. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Raging winter surf and low fog along California’s rugged Big Sur coast.

Originally I thought that I might be back at this coastal area or another here in California today. But I’m trying to time things to the light and some incoming “interesting weather” here (potential electrical storms), and the light wasn’t quite cutting it when I got up very early today. It is still possible that I might head out that way before the day is over. California is experiencing a flow of monsoonal moisture today. This is not uncommon in the southern part of the state, but it is somewhat rare to see this here in Northern California. Stay tuned!

This photograph comes from last December, on a visit to the Big Sur coast during my favorite time of year, when the likelihood of big surf and interesting atmosphere and light increases. On this morning the huge surf was enhancing a low fog later right along the coast. (It was sunny just a bit further inland.) The sun was trying to burn off the fog, and the backlight made the atmosphere glow. It isn’t really obvious in this photograph, but the surf was absolutely huge, at times completely overwhelming the offshore rocks. One more thing… I’ll bet you think this is a black and white photograph. It is actually a color photograph!

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

Winter Fog, Big Sur Coast

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Winter Fog, Big Sur Coast
Winter fog and ocean spray hugs the rugged Big Sur coast.

Winter Fog, Big Sur Coast. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Winter fog and ocean spray hugs the rugged Big Sur coast.

It is possible that my writing about the Big Sur Coast could become a bit repetitious. After all, my visits to the place are… repetitive! It takes about an hour for me to drive to the upper boundary of the region, and I can (and do) make a down and back trip in less than a day, often leaving home before sunrise and returning for a late lunch. Proximity to this remarkable landscape is a big part of what induces me to continue to put up with San Francisco Bay Area traffic and costs. It is hard to imagine another place with access to so many remarkable things.

This photograph comes from a visit on a sunny early December day last year. The season from November through the first half of spring is my favorite along this coast. The surf is often impressive — especially when a Pacific weather front is approaching — and conditions are remarkably variable, including fog, brilliant sunshine, strong winds, beautiful clouds, intimidating storms, and more. This morning featured one of my favorite combinations of conditions: surf big enough to raise mist along the coastline, a bit of a marine layer, and brilliant sun overhead.

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: Ocean & Coast

Dark Headland, Big Sur Coast

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A dark headland cliff rises directly above the Pacific along the Big Sur coast as fog clears from distant mountains.

Dark Headland, Big Sur Coast. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A dark headland cliff rises directly above the Pacific along the Big Sur coast as fog clears from distant mountains.

Recently we spent some time photographing along the far Northern California coast. One thing leads to another, and before long I found myself looking back through raw file archives from previous coastal photography, including subjects from up and down the entire coast of the state. One set of older files came from a one-day jaunt about halfway down the Big Sur coast on a day when the weather was shifting from clear and sunny to windier and (potentially) wetter as a large Pacific front was working its way down the coast.

The light was quite amazing on this day. Although clouds were approaching from the north (behind my camera position in this photograph), to the south it was still quite sunny — so bright, in fact, that it was hard to look directly at the surface of the ocean here. At the same time the morning coastal fog was thinning and drifting away from the mountains as they curved to the south and southeast. I made several photographs from this spot, all of them featuring the tall and steep dark headland in the foreground. In this one I opened up the scene a bit wider to include the curving sweep on the coastline as it continued to the south.

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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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, Photographs: Travel

Approaching Storm, Big Sur Coast

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Approaching Storm, Big Sur Coast
Haze and fog along the mountain tops as a storm approaches along the rugged Big Sur coast of California.

Approaching Storm, Big Sur Coast. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Haze and fog along the mountain tops as a storm approaches along the rugged Big Sur coast of California.

This photograph actually from a couple of years ago. (More on that subject in a moment.) I made it on one of my Big Sur day trips, on which I leave home early, photograph before the crowds arrive, and then head home by early afternoon. Yes, I’m fortunate to live close enough to do that. If I recall correctly, on this day I was hoping to beat a weather front to the coast, expecting to photograph the sunny boundary just ahead of the clouds. Conditions were different from what I expected — by the time I arrived at this point the front’s cloud shield was moving over the coastline, becoming more dramatic by the moment. Fog along the coastal hills was dissipating and there was still some haze.

Not only is this photograph from two years ago, but it is a fresh rendition of a scene that I shared at that time, based either on the very same exposure or one made at almost the same time. I went with an (unusual for me) square crop in order to contrast the dark mass of the steep cliffs rising from the sea and the more distant and lighter water, mountains, and sky. For those of you who may occasionally have dreams about where you would like to live, if you look very closely at the dark foreground ridge you might spot a place that could make you very jealous.

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 | 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.