Tag Archives: headlands

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

Headlands and Sea Stacks

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Headlands and Sea Stacks
Steep headlands and sea stacks along the rugged Big Sur coast, California.

Headlands and Sea Stacks. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Steep headlands and sea stacks along the rugged Big Sur coast, California.

In several ways, though not all, this was the best kind of winter day to photograph along the Big Sur coast. Recent storms had complicated access just enough to keep the crowds away. The lingering moisture softened the atmosphere and light. The surf was up. I stopped at a few of the usual places, but also found a few new overlooks. This is the second time I’ve been to this specific spot, and the conditions were different each time.

The scene is full of elements of a “typical” Big Sur coast photograph. Steep headlands running into the ocean? Check. Sea stacks just offshore? Check. The ever-present horizon? Check. Surf? Check. A bit of mist or fog? Check. Perhaps add a stop at the Big Sur Bakery along the way, and all of the pieces are in place!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Headlands and Mist

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Headlands and Mist
Morning mist floating among headlands on the Big Sur coast.

Headlands and Mist. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Morning mist floating among headlands on the Big Sur coast.

This photograph shows of the features that sets the Big Sur coast apart — along much of its length the land drops precipitously from tall headlands directly into the ocean. This cuts off easy access to the ocean in these areas — helping maintain the wild quality of the coast here. These headlands and cliffs also produce an extraordinarily dramatic meeting of land and sea.

Although this photograph comes from a well-known and easily accessible location, similar scenes are found all along this central section of the California coastline. I photographed somewhat early in the morning when the sun was still ascending over the coastal mountains, casting shadows on the cliffs and the edge of the water. A bit of thin fog increases the atmospheric recession between the sections of headland cliffs.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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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, Photographs: Southern California

Wave-Filled Bay, California Coast

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Wave-Filled Bay, California Coast
Surf along the beach at the mouth of San Carpoforo Creek near the southen end of the Big Sur coast.

Wave-Filled Bay, California Coast. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Surf along the beach at the mouth of San Carpoforo Creek near the southen end of the Big Sur coast.

We were recently in Southern California for the Thanksgiving holiday, and we decided to extend our drive back to Northern California, taking an extra day to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway along the Big Sur Coast. The question of just what is and is not “Bug Sur” comes up in a photograph of a location like this one. My working definition of “Big Sur” is larger than the town by that name much further north, and it encompasses everything south of roughly Carmel, down to the area below Ragged Point where the coastal landscape is much gentler. This photograph comes from the very southern end of that area — the vantage point is very close to Ragged Point, but it looks south toward those coastal lowlands.

Recently I was involved in a discussion in which someone asked about photographing some specific icons along this part of the California coast where one person chimed in with, to paraphrase, “there’s nothing left to photograph there.” While I agree that just re-photographing that handful of familiar icons is a doubtful enterprise, this hundred-mile section of coast is so complex and diverse that I cannot imagine anyone ever being “done” with it or discovering everything it offers. I’ve photographed there for decades, and I still encounter things I haven’t seen before — including this view of the coast and successive beaches and peninsulas stretching to the south.

(Note: I’m experimenting with some changes to the way I format and present photographs online. You may see some differences in how this photograph appears.)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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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

Big Sur Headlands, Autumn Light and Fog

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Big Sur Headlands, Autumn Light and Fog
Thinning fog, brilliant autumn sunlight , and receding headlands along the rugged Big Sur coast.

Big Sur Headlands, Autumn Light and Fog. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Thinning fog, brilliant autumn sunlight , and receding headlands along the rugged Big Sur coast.

This is a spot that I visit on virtually every trip to the Big Sur Coast. The place where I pull over and find this view is not a spot where you would likely consider stopping. The view is not really all that visible from the roadway, and I think I first found it by spotting the subject from another place and speculating about where I might need to go to find the angle I was looking for… and then successively trying a series of pull-outs until I found one that worked. I know — figuring out which wide spot on the road to use for my camera position sort of diminishes the romance of the whole thing!

But this view! There is a series of tall and steep headlands that fall directly to the Pacific Ocean here. Beyond there is a shallow bay, and then the coast curves back toward the ocean in the distance. The formation of the successive headlands is mirrored in a series of successive ridges running from the ocean back toward peaks. Of course, based on the photograph I made on this visit you will have to take some of this on faith since you cannot see it. Because the coastline here gradually heads further east as it goes south, by late morning the sun’s light reflects off the water, and when there is a bit of fog, as on this day, the effect is remarkable. The atmosphere truly glows, and it is almost too bright to look at. Since I have photographed this before, I’ll point out that that there are two features of this rendition that are a bit different. First, that glowing fog is unusual. Second, I decided to go with a bit broader composition here, and I included the sweep of the darker near ridge at the bottom of the frame.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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