Tag Archives: pacific

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

Two Pelicans, Sunset Glow

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Two Pelicans, Sunset Glow

Two Pelicans, Sunset Glow. South of San Francisco, California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two pelicans fly over the golden sunset light of the California Pacifica ocean coastline south of San Francisco.

On September 3, 2008 my son and I drove over the hill to Santa Cruz late in the day and headed north along the Pacific Coast on Highway 1. I had several possible subjects in mind, but when they didn’t quite pan out I decided to go for an old standby – park along the top of the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and wait for seabirds to fly past on the updraft from the ocean wind. We weren’t disappointed! Many birds were doing their commute up and down the coast, including lots of gulls and several impressive flocks of pelicans.

As the birds come by I begin by trying to get focus on one or more of them, and then I (attempt to) pan smoothly as they pass by. Because it was just before sunset on this evening the light varied tremendously as the birds came past, ranging from fairly flat blue light when shooting to the south to this amazingly saturated gold (or orange?) light when the sun and ocean and distant fog bank were right behind the birds. The color of this light is real – I shot in RAW mode and use the “as shot” setting during the conversion. Hard to believe, I know…

keywords: two, pelicans, sea, bird, ocean, coast, shore, pelagic, pacific, california, usa, wildlife, nature, landscape, orange, yellow, gold, sunset, evening, central, san francisco, santa cruz, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Pacific Ocean, Sunset

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Pacific Ocean, Sunset

Pacific Ocean Waves, Sunset. Pacific Ocean Coastline, Northern California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Color photograph of wave patterns and reflections as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean south of San Francisco, California.

I drove over to the coast on an early September evening with my son to photograph pelicans and other shore birds along coastal bluffs between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I know of a few spots on high bluffs where you can simply pull to the side of the road, take 10 steps to the west to the edge of the bluff, and then wait for birds gliding along the cliffs and taking advantage of the updrafts to stay aloft. Sometimes the birds will come past within a few feet of your position. I had been concentrating of photographing the birds, but during the breaks between flocks and individuals it was impossible to ignore the increasingly beautiful light as the sun dropped toward the horizon, casting nearly horizontal shadows of fog-diffused light. Essentially on a whim, I pointed my 100-400mm zoom (not exactly a typical landscape/seascape lens) down at the small waves at the base of the cliff and made a few exposures just as the sun began to drop below the horizon.

keywords: color, wave, swell, reflections, pacific, ocean, coast, highway, 1, one, california, usa, pattern, sun, set, sunset, evening, san francisco, coastline, shore, sea, seashore, seascape, landscape, stock

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Bird Rocks, Sunset

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Bird Rock, Sunset
Bird Rocks, Sunset. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. December 30, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographed on my last little photo expedition of 2007, an evening visit to Point Lobos on the Monterey Peninsula to shoot a winter sunset. (Note: this is not the actual “Bird Rock” which is located just a bit further south along the coast in the park.)

I suppose that going to Point Lobos to do photography is almost cheating, given the incredible density of subjects to be found in this small park – shoreline vistas, tide pools, forests, wildlife of all types. But sometimes I can’t resist, especially now that the park’s hours have been extended to allow visitors to stay a half hour after sunset. In my opinion this is the most beautiful time to be there.

keywords: point, lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, monterey, peninsula, carmel, pacific, ocean, sea, water, wave, swell, surf, spray, coast, shore, rock, island, bird, fly, flight, nature, landscape, seascape, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Incoming Fog – Big Sur Coastline

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Incoming Fog - Big Sur Coastline
Incoming Fog – Big Sur Coastline. Big Sur, California. July 21, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Evening fog rolls in near sunset along the Big Sur coastline, California. Photographed at the end of a long day driving up Highway 1 (the Coast Highway) from Southern California.

keywords: big sur, coast, coastline, shore, shorline, bay, beach, sand, wave, mountain, ridge, coast, highway, one, pink, blue, pacific, monterey, california, usa, wild, nature, landscape, seascape, travel, rock, stock