Tag Archives: flight

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Wave, Surf, and Rocks

1 Comment
Wave, Surf, and Rocks

Wave, Surf, and Rocks. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. November 30, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Winter surf crashes against the coastal rocks at Point Lobos with Carmel Highlands beyond.

This photograph was made from a bluff roughly between Weston Beach and Punta de los Lobos Marinos as the huge winter surf crashed on the rocky outcroppings along the Point Lobos coastline. The string of birds passing over the very large wave seems unaffected by the event. Portions of the Point Lobos Reserve and the Carmel Highlands are seen in through the fog and mist.

keywords: waves, surf, swell, winter, spray, rocks, coast, shore, bay, rock, tree, forest, carmel highlands, california, usa, point lobos, reserve, park, state, fog, clouds, mist, atmosphere, mist, birds, gulls, flight, fly, person, stock

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

Flock of Pelicans, Sunset

Leave a comment
Flock of Pelicans, Sunset

Flock of Pelicans, Sunset. Pacific Coast, California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A small flock of pelicans at sunset above the Pacific Ocean along the California coast.

A small group of Pelicans flying past the top of a high bluff above the Pacific Ocean coast of California at sunset on an early September evening.

keywords:flock, pelicans, five, flight, fly, sunset, evening, twilight, bird, shore, coast, shoreline, pacific, ocean, california, usa, highway, one, water, orange. gold, nature, seascape, wildlife, wings

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

Pelican in Flight, Sunset

Leave a comment
Pelican in Flight, Sunset

Pelican in Flight, Sunset. Pacific Coast, California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A solitary pelican in flight at sunset over the Pacific Ocean coastline of California.

Yet another in the pelican series I shot along the California coast north of Santa Cruz on a September evening earlier this year. The glow of the sun on back of the pelican’s head and the light shining through its wings intrigue me, along with the very faint dividing line between the pastels shades of the ocean and the sky in the background.

To find out a bit more about where and how I made this series of photographs, take a look at yesterday’s post.

keywords: pelican, bird, sea, shore, pacific, ocean, coast, wildlife, nature, flight, fly, wings, california, usa, highway, one, evening, sunset, stock

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

Two Pelicans, Sunset

1 Comment
Two Pelicans, Sunset

Two Pelicans, Sunset. Pacific Coast, California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two pelicans fly above the Pacific Ocean along the California coast at sunset.

I’ve posted photos from this set before, but since it has been a while I’ll share the story again. I had taken by son over to Santa Cruz, where he goes to school, and we decided to drive north up the coast in the early evening and look for photo opportunities. Although this section of the coast is always interesting, on this evening the first few places we stopped just didn’t present any obvious photographic opportunities. Finally I decided to just head for a roadside turnout that I had visited before. It is located right at the edge of the steep bluffs above the ocean, and large sea birds often fly right along the edge, apparently catching the updraft from the wind coming in off the ocean. You can see the birds coming for hundreds of yards in either direction, track them as the approach, and if you are lucky they will pass by mere feet from your position.

Making this setting more interesting and/or more challenging on this evening, the sun was setting behind a bit of off-shore fog – and as I panned to follow the birds the exposure went from fairly normal light on either side of my position to the intensely colorful and very bright light coming through the fog when I was aiming directly out to see as in this photo.

Yes, it really was this color.

keywords: pelican, two, bird, wildlife, fly, wing, sunset, fog, orange, gold, ocean, pacific, coast, light, highway, one, scenic, travel, flight, california, usa, davenport