Tag Archives: one

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

Big Sur Headlands, Fog

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Big Sur Headlands, Fog
“Big Sur Headlands, Fog” — Morning fog on and early fall morning along the Big Sur coast.

You never can be quite certain of the conditions you’ll encounter along California’s Big Sur Coast. Ocean and continent boundaries are transitional zones, and conditions depend on which one dominates. On this visit I expected to arrive to clearing fog and broken sunlight on the coast. But, alas, it remained cloudy the entire time I was there. Fortunately, there are advantages to such conditions, too. The press of tourist traffic diminishes, and the coast can take on a quiet and moody quality.

I stopped at a high point where I rarely photograph these days, having been there so many times over the decades. When I do stop, it is often to use the vantage point to see if whales are passing by. No whales this time, but the headlands lined up to the north, gradually receding into the mist and haze, seemed pretty interesting — interesting enough to pull out the camera and make this photograph.

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

Coastal Redwood Forest

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Coastal Redwood Forest
“Coastal Redwood Forest” — A young coastal redwood forest, Pheiffer Big Sur State Park.

Photographing California’s coastal redwood forests can be a (fun) challenge. There is often an overwhelming amount of “stuff” in the scene — trunks, branches, undergrowth, all growing densely. Part of the challenge is finding a workable composition among all of the details. Light can also be tricky. On sunny days light beams fill the scene and pose nearly unsolvable dynamic range issues — shadows go completely black and highlights threaten to blow out. I made this photograph on a cloudy morning when the overcast was thinning a bit, producing some very soft light.

The location is Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Oddly, as a lifelong Californian who has passed by here often, I have barely explored this park. In fact, I can recall only one previous brief visit. Perhaps this is because I’m typically in the area to photograph coastal subjects rather than forests, and perhaps also because there are other redwood parks closer to where I live. This little scene is a obscure one near the main campgrounds and a nature trail.

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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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 Haze

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Big Sur Haze
“Big Sur Haze” — Summer haze along rugged Big Sur coastline, California.

I drove down the Big Sur Coast on this mid-August morning, traveling as far as the point where the road is currently closed for landslide repair. A bit north of that I pulled out at a popular overlook where I have photographed before — there is a great view down the coast and past a series of big ridges descending to the water. I almost didn’t photograph, but as I looked at the scene I became interested in smaller sections of the larger view.

Typically when I have photographed here I have worked in vertical portrait mode so that I could include the more distant curve of the coast and an interesting “natural bridge” on some rocks to the right. I’ve often trued to exclude the foreground trees, but this time I thought that they might make a good foil to the haze-muted forms and textures of the more distant coastline at the upper right.

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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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

Water’s Edge

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Water's Edge
“Water’s Edge” — Blue-green water and surf meet the edge of the continent, Big Sur Coast.

I called this “Water’s Edge,” but I could also have called it “Continent’s Edge.” Beyond and above this little vignette of sand and rocks and water and foam lies the entire Pacific Ocean, and behind it lies the North American continent. The location is some likely-nameless spot along the Pacific Coast Highway as it passes through the Big Sur region of Central California.

I had stopped to consider photographing something else when I happened to walk close enough to the edge of the drop-off to see all the way down to the small, rocky beach. I spent a few moments watching and photographing the constantly changing patterns where the blue-green water meets the beach.

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.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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