Tag Archives: california

Four Surf Fisherman

Four Surf Fishermen
Four Surf Fishermen. Gazos Creek, California. March 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

This is one of those landscape photographs in which appearances can be deceiving. I suppose it looks fairly calm and quiet, but getting this shot was the result of working very quickly and spontaneously with a very long lens as the subjects moved quickly through the scene. I had just gotten out of my car with a plan to observe and then photograph the seascape when I noticed the group of fisherman heading across the sand toward a rocky headland to the south.

keywords: four, fishing, fish, fishermen, surf, pacific, ocean, coast, sea, seascape, coastline, headland, waves, sand, beach, reflections, pole, sky, california, usa, scenic, travel, landscape, seascape, people, gazos, creek, big basin, state, park

Two Gulls in Formation, Blue Sky

Two Gulls in Formation, Blue Sky
Two Gulls in Formation, Blue Sky. Pacific Ocean Coastline, California. March 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographed along the California coast north of Santa Cruz on the first of March. I found a spot at the top of a coastal cliff where the birds flying along the coast came almost directly overhead.

keywords: two, gulls, sea, seagulls, blue, sky, ocean, sea, birds, shore, coast, coastline, california, usa, pacific, ocean, wildlife, animals, nature, stock, shoreline

Gull in Flight, Blue Sky

Gull in Flight, Blue Sky
Gull in Flight, Blue Sky. Pacific Coast, California. March 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

On the first day of March I went out for some “target practice” – trying to track gulls in flight from a bluff above the Pacific Ocean north of Santa Cruz, California.

I was using a new zoom that provides a 400mm focal length at the long end. Although I’m not primarily a wildlife photographer – not that I don’t give it a try from time to time – I have to say that trying to photograph gulls as they pass by in flight is a real challenge, and renews my appreciation for the skills of those who do specialize in “birds in flight” (or “BIF,” as they refer to it) photography.

gull, sea, gull, seagull, bird, shorebird, seabird, pacific, ocean, coast, california, usa, wildlife, nature, animal, bif, flight, fly, flying, shore, seashore, stock

Shop Buildings at Night

Mare Island Shops at Night
Mare Island Shops at Night. Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California. March 22, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

At least once a year I join The Nocturnes (the San Francisco Bay Area night photographers’ group led by Tim Baskerville) to photograph the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. This amazing historical site near Vallejo, California was the first US Navy shipyard on the west coast and dates to the mid-1800s. It was active until the late 1990s. It is a night photographer’s paradise with wonderful old buildings ranging form officers’ homes to dry docks to huge cranes to wonderful old brick factory buildings

keywords: night, nocturnes, mare island, naval shipyard, vallejo, california, usa, stars, artificial, lights, brick, quonset, door, road, street, fence, windows, smoke, stack, blue, yellow, brown, shadow, urban, landscape, travel, historic, stock