Tag Archives: sea

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

Pacific Coast Highway, Headlands

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Pacific Coast Highway, Headlands
“Pacific Coast Highway, Headlands” — The Pacific Coast Highway traverses steep headlands above the Pacific Ocean on a hazy winter morning, Big Sur coast.

This landscape that reminds me that change is the rule. It invites all sorts of questions. How long ago were those sea stacks part of the mainland? How long until the cliff-edge trail I’m slips into the ocean? Where will the next route-closing landslide occur? The dynamism of the landscape is clearly present here.

This time I visited for a few hours on a late-winter morning. The skies were mostly clear along the coast, as is common here between storms, but there was scattered fog and everywhere there was mist, from both the clearing fog and from ocean spray. Early in the morning the sun is blocked by coastal mountains, but as it rises its light angles down among these headlands.

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

Winter Surf, Clearing Sky

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Winter Surf, Clearing Sky
“Winter Surf, Clearing Sky” — Skies clear above winter surf as a Pacific Coast storm dissipates.

This photograph of winter surf and clearing sky was the culmination of a day-long weather transition. We heard reports of record-high surf along the Pacific coast, so we headed right over to see it. When we arrived, the surf was huge, but it was raining, producing a dark and ominous scene. As the day wore on those clouds began to thin, and before long the sun began to poke through. By the time I made this photograph there was more sun than shadow.

The surf is the main character in this scene. As we watched from the shore, the waves rose to impressive heights in the distance, producing monumental spray as the crashed ashore. But the light was nearly as interesting. This close to the water, the mist-filled atmosphere had a glowing, luminous quality.

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

Winter Storm Surf

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Winter Storm Surf
“Winter Storm Surf” — Giant winter storm waves crash ashore along the Northern California coast.

At one point while photographing the late-December winter storm surf along California’s coastline, I momentarily hit the light jackpot. While the far horizon was still dark and stormy, a break in the shoreline clouds cast bright sunlight on the surf crashing onto this beach. On a typical day the largest waves here would be more like the one at the bottom of the frame. On this day the biggest waves were huge and loud and sent spray far inland.

Many of us head straight to the coast when conditions like these arise. It is a spectacular thing and not to be missed. At the same time, authorities issue lots of warnings about the dangers. The dangers are real and you certainly want to keep your distance from the sea when it behaves like this. But with a degree of caution you can — and should! — safely watch the show.

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: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Gull, Breaking Wave

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Gull, Breaking Wave
“Gull, Breaking Wave” — A seagull flies about a breaking winter wave along the California coast.

Given this spectacular day of heavy winter surf along the California coast, it should be no surprise that there are more photographs coming from the event. I made this one from a promontory on a peninsula that juts out into the ocean, giving me a close-up view of the powerful breaking waves. It had been quite cloudy, but when I made this photograph the clouds were breaking up a bit and sunshine was beginning to reflect on the water and light the spray from the surf.

I’m intrigued by the different ways in which waves break, I suppose in response to underwater contours that we cannot see. This wave began to break to the right and left of the center, and the two zones of roiling water gradually merged as a single gull flew overhead.

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.