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The Quiet Pacific

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The Quiet Pacific
“The Quiet Pacific” — The Pacific Ocean on a quiet, overcast morning on the Big Sur Coast.

There is not a lot happening in this photograph. In fact, the scene was as close to static as ocean scenes can be. It can be quite dramatic and dynamic here, especially if the sun is out, a big swell is generating high surf, the wind is blowing, and wildlife is present. But on this unexpectedly foggy morning it was quite still and most of the tourists were still sipping coffee back in town.

The location is a very high overlook along the Pacific Coast Highway south of Carmel. Several things intrigued me about the scene on this morning — not just the unusual stillness. The boundary between the ocean and sky was muted by the fog bank, and the light was soft and gray. A mysterious line of foam led from the foreground rocks far out into the ocean.

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

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.

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: 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

Point Sur Lighthouse Station

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Point Sur Lighthouse Station
“Point Sur Lighthouse Station” — The historic Point Sur Lighthouse Station with Pacific Ocean fog in the background.

There are several striking hills, rocks, mounds like this along California’s coast, almost isolated from land yet tenuously connected by a low peninsula. I think of them as reminders of where the coast was long ago and of the continuous eroding away of the land. This one is Point Sur, between the Carmel area and the town of Big Sur. It houses the historic Point Sur Lighthouse Station — no longer active, but today a state park.

A drive down the Big Sur Coast on the Pacific Coast Highway makes it clear how rugged and isolated is this section of California’s coast. Even today it can feel remote, and the route is subject to frequent closures due to weather and slides. When the lighthouse was established over a century ago, there was no road here, and access was generally by ship. It was not until decades later that an early road to Big Sur was established.

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.