Tag Archives: landscape

Point Reyes Life-saving Station

Point Reyes Life-saving Station

Point Reyes Life-saving Station. Point Reyes National Seashore, California. June 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of the historic Point Reyes Life-saving Station and dock with Drakes Bay and Point Reyes cliffs beyond. Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

This old building sits right on the shoreline of Drakes Bay, on the sheltered side of the Point Reyes Headlands. It was used until a half century ago as the staging area of rescues at sea, and it includes an unusual rail system for launching rescue boats. (It somehow seems right to show this historic building in black and white, and compositionally I like the effect a bit better as well.)

keywords: point reyes; national seashore; park; lifesaving; life-saving; station; building; dock; pier; drakes bay; historic; beach; shoreline; waterfront; windows; black and white; white; whitecaps; landscape; scenic; travel; california; usa; pilings; stock

Outbound Freighter – San Francisco Bay

Outbound Freighter - San Francisco Bay
Outbound Freighter – San Francisco Bay. San Francisco, California. June 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of a freighter on the San Francisco Bay on its way toward the Golden Gate and the Pacific.

keywords: san francisco, bay, california, usa, water, reflection, ship, boat, freighter, east, hills, black and white, seascape, landscape, commerce, shipping, reflection, wake, scenic, stock, cma cgm

Point Reyes Headlands

Point Reyes Headlands
“Point Reyes” — oint Reyes with coastal haze, foreground cove with elephant seals, and Drakes Bay in the distance.

I made this photograph in incredibly windy conditions. (I can hear other Point Reyes regulars saying, “duh!” at this point…) It was the kind of afternoon when no tripod is sturdy enough to really hold the camera still – so I waited and shot during relative lulls in the gale. If you look closely at the lower right corner you can see sea lions hauled out on the beach.

To expand a bit, the weather at this spectacular location is often quite different from that in other nearby California locations. The “point” extends a good distance out into the ocean here, with the result being cold temperatures, lots of wind, and frequent heavy fog. The fog was not present on this day, but the wind surely was!


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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Evening at Inspiration Point – Yosemite Valley

Evening at Inspiration Point - Yosemite Valley
Evening at Inspiration Point – Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. April 27, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Evening at Inspiration Point, the original “Valley View” – Yosemite National Park, California.

Another photograph from my late April hike up to Inspiration Point to watch the day end in Yosemite Valley. Inspiration Point is the original “Valley View” that was used before the construction of Wawona Tunnel, when the road out of the Valley followed a different and steeper route. This beautiful spot is a 1.3 mile hike up from the overrun Wawona Tunnel View location, and a million miles away in terms of atmosphere. At Inspiration Point you may experience this sublime scene in solitude rather than accompanied by traffic noise and exhaust fumes.

keywords: California, National Park, Sierra Nevada, Spring, Yosemite, inspiration, point, valley, view, el capitan, half, dome, clouds rest, evening, sunset, tree, forest, oak, sky, light, bridalveil, fall, sentinel, landscape, stock, scenic, travel, usa