Tag Archives: coast

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Weston Beach, Winter

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Weston Beach, Winter

Weston Beach, Winter. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. January 25, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Weston Beach in the wake of a passing Pacific storm, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

After photographing shore birds for a couple of hours I started back toward the park exit, but when I saw these post-storm clouds on the horizon beyond high-tide-filled Weston Beach I had to stop and make another round of photographs.

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: weston, beach, cove, point lobos, state reserve, park, california, usa, monterey, peninsula, big sur, carmel, pacific, ocean, coast, shore, shoreline, passing, storm, clouds, winter, weather, birds, gulls, wave, surf, rock, boulder, sand, gravel, landscape, seascape, stock

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

Gull in Flight, Blue Sky

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Gull in Flight, Blue Sky

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

Gull in flight against blue sky, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

A short trip to Point Lobos today turned into mostly a bird photography expedition. Landscape prospects were challenging, to say the least – the tide was very high, the surf was only moderate, but strong winds were whipping up a lot of choppy water. When I arrived I still planned to shoot landscapes, but I got the hint when a huge flock of pelicans flew by just a few feet from the parking lot as I was unloading – so I put the long lens on the camera and went “hunting” for birds in flight.

I’ve noticed a funny thing about photographing birds, at least at Point Lobos. I can drag the tripod out on a nice promontory and wait… and wait… and wait. But as soon as I decide to give up and try something else the world’s biggest and most spectacular flock of pelicans will cruise 20 feet over my head! Today I had put my gear in the car three times, only to have to drag it out again as the birds flew by mere feet away from the coastal bluff.

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: bird, in, flight, wing, gull, sea, shore, shoreline, sky, blue, cloud, azure, backlit, edge, beak, fly, avian, tail, point lobos, state, reserve, california, monterey, peninsula, carmel, highway one, coast, pacific, ocean, winter, stock, wildlife, nature

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Boulders, Beach, Twilight

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Boulders, Panther Beach, Twilight

Boulders, Beach, Twilight. North of Santa Cruz, California. January 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Large surf-worn boulders near the waterline in the twilight – south of Santa Cruz, California.

Just after the sun dropped below the horizon, I passed through a “natural bridge” between the two sections of the beach and came out on the south side by these two large boulders set in the sand. I used a 35mm prime and positioned the camera quite close to the boulder on the left to get this shot, pausing long enough to let people in brightly colored clothes walk through the scene before making my long exposure. (In one frame there is a very interesting smear or color passing behind the rock! :-)

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: boulder, rock, sand, footprints, sunset, evening, twilight, panther, beach, state, park, california, usa, coast, highway, one, 1, santa cruz, cliff, bluff, surf, wave, pacific, ocean, sea, shore, seascape, landscape, sky, cloud, nature, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Beach and Rocks, Late Afternoon

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Panther Beach, Late Afternoon

Beach and Rocks, Late Afternoon. Near Santa Cruz, California. January 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Warm late afternoon winter sun shines on the sand, rocks and surf at a beach Santa Cruz, California.

Looking more or less south towards Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, and in the distance the Monterey Peninsula, this photograph was made from atop a slender finger of coastal bluff that almost splits this beach in half. In fact, getting between the north and south sections would involve some serious wading if it were not for the large “natural bridge” that cuts through the rock more or less directly below where I stood to make this photograph. Except for correctly a slight camera tilt, little post-processing was applied to this photograph – the intense colors come from the very late hour just shortly before sunset.

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: beach, california, county, Dusk, evening, nature, pacific ocean, sand, Santa Cruz, seascape, seashore, sky, Sunset, travel, water, waves, winter, monterey, bay, surf, foam, cliff, bluff, sand, rock, boulder, coast, shoreline, shore, sea, seascape, landscape, travel, scenic, people, nature, walk, afternoon, late, light, stock