Tag Archives: nature

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

Headlands and Fog

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Headlands and Fog
“Headlands and Fog” — Morning fog obscures te Pacific Ocean beyond Point Lobos headlands.

Point Lobos can be a place of wildly diverse conditions — from powerful winter storms that cast driftwood onto the shoreline to quiet warm-season days of sunshine. But more often things lie between the extremes… and typically involve fog. Summer visitors to “sunny California” are often surprised to discover that the sun’s appearance can be quite a bit less frequent along the coast, even when it is sunny inland. This Point Lobos visit was on a day of particularly persistent fog that stuck anround into the mid-afternoon.

This headlands terrain is found in several locations at Point Lobos, but especially along the northern portion of the park. Here the cliffs are taller and steeper and the land is open to the swell from the northwest, producing a rugged and dramatic shoreline. In this scene Monterey cypress trees survive on the rocky terrain just above the surf, and the small island on the left is populated by resting (and perhaps nesting?) cormorants.

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: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Monterey Cypress, Fog

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Monterey Cypress, Fog
“Monterey Cypress, Fog” — Summer fog drifts across monterey cypress trees at Point Lobos State Reserve.

This was a wonderful morning at Point Lobos in more than one way. It was my escape from the oppressive inland heat — here is was 58 degrees with thick fog rolling across the landscape. It was not at all crowded, at least not at first, since I managed to arrive when the reserve opened. I spent the morning ambling slowly along trails near bluffs along the north shore, where Monterey cypress trees cling to the edges of the cliffs above the ocean.

This photograph was more of a challenge than it might appear. The textures and colors of the trees were quite attractive, but the gently glowing fog was quite a lot brighter. This is one of those photographs that I expose for what I intend to do in post, and not to try to “capture” the literal scene in the camera. I was faced with the (common) challenge of an extremely wide dynamic range, so I exposed for the bright fog and planned to bring back the details in the shadows among the trees in post.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

The Old Cypress

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The Old Cypress
“The Old Cypress” — An old, gnarled monterey cypress grows along the cliffs of Point Lobos State Reserve.

Recently California and the West have been suffering through long periods of extreme heat. Fortunately, I live close enough to the coast that I can get over there on the worst days. I knew it was going to be hot so I got up early and drove to Point Lobos just south of Carmel, where I found thick fog and temperatures in the upper 50s. The fog typically pulls back from the coast fairly quickly on hot days, but this time it stuck around in o the afternoon. I spent the morning hours photographing here before heading back home where it ended up about 40 degrees warmer.

This is a fascinating specimen of Monterey cypress, a tree that is native here and only a couple of other locations. At Point Lobos many of them grow along the edges of steep cliffs, especially along the north shore, and this old tree is hanging onto its perch seeming by a thread.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Loch Ness From The Great Glen Way

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Loch Ness From The Great Glen Way
“Loch Ness From The Great Glen Way” — The view of Loch Ness from the high route of the Great Glen Way between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit/Lewiston.

Scotland’s Great Glen Way, an 80-mile walking route between Fort William and Inverness, follows a nearly-straight valley or glen that runs from the southwest to the northeast. There are three lochs (or lakes) along the Glen — from south to north they are Loch Lochy, Loch Rich, and Loch Ness. They are interconnected via the remarkable structures of the Caledonian Canal, and watercraft can travel from end to end. Loch Ness, at the north end, is both the largest and the most famous of the lochs, in part because of the “Loch Ness Monster” tales. (I marvel at how the Scots can build an economy around Nessie, a non-existent thing!)

On this day’s walk — a long and exhausting one! — we traveled from Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit and its neighbor, Lewiston. This was one of the four days on which we had Loch Ness to our right. (Well, on one of them we hiked the section in reverse, so the loch was to our left.) Yes, it is that long! This view is from a section of the path that rose into forests high above the valley.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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