Tag Archives: point

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

Point Sur, December Sky

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Point Sur, December Sky
High clouds, brilliant reflecting light on the water, and fog at Point Sur.

Point Sur, December Sky. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

High clouds, brilliant reflecting light on the water, and fog at Point Sur.

There is a lot of “accepted wisdom” about photography that turns out to be not quite true when you stop and consider your actual picture-making experience..Yesterday I was having a conversation with a photographer friend (Hi, Charlie!) about various things, including the way that some photographs don’t quite make sense to us until we return to them long after making the original exposure. If one ideal is to pre-visualize the photograph perfectly (and I do believe in the value of pre-visualizing), then it would seem that being surprised months or years later to find that a forgotten image works is hard to explain. But it happens — quite a lot, actually. One of my ideas about this is that at first we are too invested in what we believe the photograph to be that we are unable to look beyond that and see what it actually is.

All of this is a long way of getting to a point about this photograph. When I first viewed it right after the day I visited the Big Sur coast, I had a hard time with certain aspects of the light and the color and, to a lesser extent, the way it was framed. Originally I settled on a black and white interpretation. (Yes, a neat way of copping out about the color issues!) Recently I went back and looked at it again, and this is the result. I ended up with a slightly different crop, some work to lighten portions of the scene, and some new thinking about color of clouds and sky and about how to handle the bright yet low contrast reflections on the water out near the horizon.

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, Photographs: Travel

Bridge and Fog

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Bridge and Fog
A bridge emerges from thinning fog on a December morning along the Big Sur coast.

Bridge and Fog. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A bridge emerges from thinning fog on a December morning along the Big Sur coast.

Somewhat to my surprise, I have yet another photograph from this December visit to the Big Sur coast. Actually, I should not be surprised to “discover” photographs among files left behind when I originally considered them. For some reason, this is not an uncommon experience at all. (I believe it was Gary Winogrand who waited for a considerable time before even developing his film.) I have some theories. One is that in the days right after making the photograph I have some ideas of what I expect it to be, and the actual image does not always come up to the imagined standard. But given time and some aesthetic distance from the image, its inherent, intrinsic potential starts to emerge on its own.

The subject here is a particular spot that I’ve stopped to photograph many times on my visits to the Big Sur coast. (Hint: It is not the bridge you probably think it is.) I remember thinking on more than one occasion that there was no new way to photograph the scene, only to come upon it in some particular set of conditions that I had not seen before. There are a few different elements in this version. First, the fog was quite special — a combination of low, coast-hugging fog and spray from the surf, with clear sky above that let the light create a backlit glow. Due to the particularities of season and time of day, I was able to point back toward the land and get the bright reflections on the water. The little bit of fence at the left is another new element. Typically when I had photographed here in the past I went to some effort to keep that fence out of the frame — but this time I decided to embrace it as part of the scene.

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

Rugged Shoreline, Big Sur Coast

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Rugged Shoreline, Big Sur Coast
Morning fog along the rugged Big Sur shoreline.

Rugged Shoreline, Big Sur Coast. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning fog along the rugged Big Sur shoreline.

Because I live in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area I have the luxury of choosing to go to the coast on a moment’s notice, even if I only have a morning, an afternoon, or an evening for the trip. I can watch the weather conditions and choose to go if they look good (clearing fog!) or stay home if they don’t (boring blue sky!). Because I lean toward more dramatic conditions, I tend to choose times around the passage of a weather system — which can bring impressive surf — or else foggy days that look like they will clear.

Fog can be moody and interesting on its own, but a lot of the most fascinating light comes along the intersection between fog and clear sky as the fog begins to lift. The views begin to open up, but portions of the scene may still be muted or partially obscured. In the areas of lighter fog the light is directional but not overly intense and harsh. And along the mountainous edge of the continent along the Big Sur coast the fog often drapes itself across mountain ridges and moves as I watch it. That was the case here, as I photographed across a particularly rugged section of the shoreline toward a ridge and peninsula.

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 | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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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

Morning Fog, Rugged Shoreline

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Morning Fog, Rugged Shoreline
Morning fog clears from coastal mountains above the rugged Big Sur shoreline.

Morning Fog, Rugged Shoreline. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning fog clears from coastal mountains above the rugged Big Sur shoreline.

This photograph (and a few others from this trip) illustrate how sometimes a combination of planning and luck come together… and even overcome a bad decision or two. I had checked the forecast the previous evening and it looked like there would be fog along the coast, making a quick visit potentially rewarding. I decided that I’d get up early and head that way. But in the morning one thing led to another, and I was quite late (by photographer standards) getting out the door and on the road. I wondered if perhaps I had missed the timing, and I even considered heading somewhere else.

As I approached the coast I saw that the fog was obstinately sticking around, and it was foggier than I had expected! I headed south, looking for places where the fog was beginning to thin, and this was my first serious stop. Here the rugged coast was already clear, but the fog was just offshore and still covering the taller hills, including the far peak above the distant peninsula. I made a few photographs here and then headed on to a few more spots before returning when the light became too harsh. (As I turned around and headed home I noticed that the influx of tourists was just starting… and that the best light and conditions had passed while they were enjoying breakfast!)

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 | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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