Tag Archives: fog

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

Beneath The Fog

Image August 28, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Pacific Ocean bluffs beneath summer fog, Big Sur coast

We often photograph this coast when it is sunny, and even then we tend to photograph at the colorful early morning and evening hours. The light at those times and in those conditions is, indeed, amazing, and who could blame photographers for seeking it out? In addition, along the Big Sur coast the clearer skies often produce great vistas that stretch over immense distances.

I often wonder how people who are familiar with this area from photographs and guide books — with their sunny photographs — must respond when they discover that fog is very common, especially during the prime summer tourist months. In fact, much of the California coast is like this — it can be (and was on the day I made this photograph) ninety degrees or hotter a few miles inland and cold, windy, and foggy along the immediate coast. I made this photograph right at one of the best known and most iconic locations along the Big Sur coast, but in these more typical foggy conditions.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature

Spring Morning, Carrizo Plain

Image August 27, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

An exceptional spring wildflower bloom in the arid Carrizo Plain

Most of the time — and all of the time in many typical years — this location would strike a visitor as being pretty much a desert. This is a hot and dry place, with playas that remind one of areas of Nevada or even Death Valley. It is a long ways from any towns, and there are virtually no amenities there. In other words, just the sort of place I like to visit.

Every so often, when California’s winter rains are heavier than usual, and when the rest of the factors work out just right, such arid locations can break out with astounding displays of wildflowers. I was fortunate to time a visit to one such location just right. On this morning the yellow flowers seemed to extend all the way toward the mountains shrouded in glowing fog.

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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

Mouth of the Little Sur River

Image August 24, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The Little Sur meanders across a beach to arrive at the Pacific Ocean

This beach lies at the outlet of the Little Sur River, located a bit north of the town of Big Sur and close to Point Sur, the location of a historic lighthouse on a hill that extends out into the ocean. (You can barely see Point Sur above the darker hill at upper left in the photograph.) I have photographed here quite often, though this is a different angle than I have used before. It took a bit of searching — and a short walk along the roadway — to locate this viewpoint looking straight down the beach.

I have photographed this spot long enough to recognize that its features are far from permanent. In fact, just recently the river changed its path across the beach. Previously it followed a curving loop into the channel across the bottom of the frame before running into a rocky hill at the waterline. But this past winter it “changed its mind,” and it opted to take a straighter path across the beach toward the more distant headlands before finally making a sharp turn and reaching the sea. (Note: This beautiful beach is owned by the Sur Ranch and off-limits to the public. There are large and ugly fences between it and the highway. From time to time I hear that there may be some negotiations that could add the land to the state park system.)

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Tree With Two Hawks, Fog

Image August 22, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Morning tule fog clears beyond a tree with a pair of hawks

I was in this location to photograph something quite different from what is seen here, but tule fog interfered with that subject to some extent. So I found myself wandering a bit more afield and looking for other subjects. Eventually the fog began to thin and drift away.

This solitary tree appeared against the background of a long grove of (mostly) cottonwood trees, and the thinning fog began to allow light from the morning sky into the scene. Initially I simply saw the tree itself as the subject, but as I composed the photograph I realized that a pair of hawks for perched side-by-side on one of the limbs.

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G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: fog

Beneath The Fog

Spring Morning, Carrizo Plain

Mouth of the Little Sur River

Tree With Two Hawks, Fog

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.