Tag Archives: cypress

Photographs: Central California

Cypress Tree and Steps

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Cypress Tree and Steps - Point Lobos
Cypress Tree and Steps. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 24, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of rock steps leading to a lone cypress tree. Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

I’ve visited this spot many times in the past. It is along a short trail at Point Lobos that leads through the Monterey cypress forest and right along the tops of the coastal cliffs. I’ve always been intrigued by this little section of trail with this carefully constructed stone stairway leading to a small lone cypress right on the edge of the cliff. It was foggy on the day when I made this photo – I set up the camera and tripod and waited for some light to begin to filter through the thinning fog.

keywords: black and white, monochrome, cypress, tree, branch, trunk, steps, stairs, trail, path, rock, boulder, plants, point lobos, state, reserve, california, usa, ocean, park, carmel, monterey, peninsula, travel, scenic, landscape, detail. stock, nature

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Tree Trunks, Cypress Forest

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Tree Trunks, Cypress Forest
Tree Trunks, Cypress Forest. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 24, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of forest floor and cypress tree trunks. Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

This was a tough photograph, and one that I’ll probably return to work on again. It was a foggy morning at Point Lobos and I had arrived in time for the hoped-for clearing that I expected to occur within the hour. I found this composition and set up and waited for the light. I got just a bit of filtered light through the fog but then the transition from fog to sun stopped. While I never got quite the light I was looking for, I am pleased with how this turned out.

It was a bit amusing to see the reactions of other hikers as they walked past. Some perhaps assumed that there must be a “great photograph” there since my tripod supported what probably looked like substantial equipment and I was standing there holding a remote release. Some would walk past and take a sneaky glance along the cameras line of sight – and I could tell they were perplexed. During the wait for decent light, however, I did get to indulge in one of my favorite little hobbies – offering to take group pictures of other visitors with their cameras so that no one would be left out. :-)

keywords: black and white, forest, floor, cypress, tree, trunk, point lobos, state, reserve, california, usa, monterey, peninsula, carmel, bay, nature, landscape, travel, scenic, grass, rock, stock

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

Big Sur Coastline

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Big Sur Coastline
Big Sur Coastline. Big Sur, California. July 21, 2008. © Copyright G Dan MItchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of Big Sur coastline with tree covered ridges descending to the shoreline and fading into the distance.

This is yet another in the series of photographs I made on a long drive up the Big Sur coastline during the summer of 2008. The landscape photographer goes into overload on this drive – there is just too much to shoot. This photograph is a stitch of a couple 12MP full frame DSLR images.

keywords: afternoon, atmosphere, bay, beach, big sur, california, cliff, coast, cypress, fog, Forest, haze, kelp, landscape, mist, nature, ocean, pacific ocean, Road, rock, sand, seascape, seashore, sky, summer, travel, tree, usa, water, waves

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Cypress Forest and Trail with Steps

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Cypress Forest and Trail with Steps
Cypress Forest and Trai l with Steps. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 24, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Stairway on a trail through Monterey cypress forest at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

I went to the Monterey Peninsula on Sunday with a vague plan to possibly shoot at Point Lobos, but to first see what I could find in Carmel Valley. I left a bit late because there was a thick bank of morning fog extending far inland, so I knew that the coast would be socked in. Arriving in Carmel Valley I headed up there to see what I could see – but soon noticed that the fog here was actually clearing out a short distance from the coast. Wanting to photograph the good light on the border between fog and sun as the fog cleared and thinking that this might occur earlier than I had expected, I headed to Point Lobos and started scouting locations in the cypress forest in the section of the park closest to Carmel. The good light looked like it was going to arrive – the fog began to thin and a few blue spots began to appear… but then the process reversed and I only saw a few moments of the light I hoped for. In any case, I did do a few shots in this area, including this one along a section of trail with a stone stairway that has long intrigued me.

keywords: cypress, tree, forest, trunk, branch, plants, trail, steps, path, ocean, bay, monterey, carmel, peninsula, point lobos, state, reserve, california, usa, landscape, seascape, travel, scenic, hike, rock, stock