Tag Archives: shore

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

Seaweed and Pebbles, Weston Beach

July 24, 2012 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Shoreline debris, including pebbles and seaweed, at Weston Beach, Point Lobos State Reserve.

During virtually every visit to the Point Lobos State Reserve I end up shooting at Weston Beach (named after photographer Edward Weston) at least once. Perhaps the Weston name is part of what attracts me… though the easy parking might have something to do with it, too. ;-) But seriously, this beach is a special place that I have visited for decades, starting when my family went to Point Lobos so that I can my siblings could wander about and inspect the tide pools.

Weston Beach has always seemed to me to barely qualify as what I think of when I hear the word “beach.” That word, to me, suggests a strand of fine sand that runs along the edge of the ocean. But this beach is more of a cove, and the its shore is emphatically not that kind of “sand.” Instead, it is mostly rocky with broken ledges full of channels that run down and into the water. It is separated from the open ocean by another wall of rocks that almost closes it off from the rougher water, though wave spill in through the gap. Instead of fine sand, there is gravel, consisting mostly of smooth rocks that are almost golf ball sized. During much of the year, but especially in winter when Pacific storms bring the highest surf, all sorts of interesting stuff washes up on this beach – shells, drift wood, seaweed – and I love to walk here slowly, looking for seemingly random juxtapositions and forms that might make a photograph.

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Elephant Seal and Rock, Water’s Edge

July 4, 2012 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

An elephant seal lies near a rock at the edge of the surf, Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

The elephant seals have made what seems like a largely successful recovery along the California coast, and they are now found in quite a few places. I photographed this one and some of its fellows while doing landscape photography at Point Reyes – the actual point, not just the generic park – in late June. They are big beasts and while it is possible to make a “cute” photograph of an elephant seal, especially a young one, they seem like quite tough creatures. To begin with, their environment is not always exactly benign. In addition, they spar. Males have a challenge ritual that is fairly often observed. They face off, raising their upper bodies as high as possible, and then they slash and bite at one another. The result is not always pretty, at it isn’t at all unusual to see them bearing some very horrifying wounds from these battles.

This one, however, looks quite peaceful. (The fighting action was taking place just off shore and out of the range of the camera in this shot.) As I paused along a less windy section of the trail along the bluffs, hoping to find some shelter while I switched lenses, I heard the distinctive sounds of the elephant seals coming from the base of the bluffs. Looking over the edge into a small cove, I saw a group of them laid out along the beach. Soon they began to move about, and some headed straight for the water. This one went just a bit beyond the wave line, and then simply lazed about and let the water wash over.

Photographs: San Francisco

Pier, San Francisco Bay, Morning

June 30, 2012 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

An old pier along the Embarcadero, San Francisco Bay, with structures of the Port of Oakland, California across the water.

I wonder how long it will take for me to feel that I have exhausted the possibilities of this walk along San Francisco’s Embarcadero? Here is (yet another!) morning photograph made it this area, once again with what is perhaps my favorite light in this location – the early morning glow of backlit fog/haze over the waters of the Bay.

I made this photograph on a very calm summer morning when there waters of the Bay were almost completely smooth, at least until a bit of boat traffic began to come by and a breeze came up. Interjecting itself into the left side of the frame is one of the old piers along this section of the waterfront. In the far distance, all the way on the other side of the bay and muted by the morning haze, are giant cranes used at the Port of Oakland.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Pipe Covered Wall, Fire Extinguisher Sign

June 28, 2012 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A very worn and peeling wall with pipes, conduit, a fire extinguisher sign, and shadows – The Embarcadero, San Francisco.

This is a more or less random bit of wall in a small alley leading from the Embarcadero to some old buildings on one of the old piers along the east shoreline of San Francisco. (I need to get back up there soon. There was a recent fire in the area and now I’m wondering if it affected any of these little spots I photograph.)

I am a bit of a sucker – and who isn’t? – for old worn walls, especially when they are crisscrossed by pipes and conduit and when they hold various valves and meters of the sort that in more modern structures might be hidden from view. In this case, I made the photograph in relatively “harsh” light – it was still morning, but no longer the very early soft, warm light. In fact, it was that very light that created another element of this scene that attracted me, namely the very wide shadows from the very narrow pipes. I liked other small details too – the “FIRE EXT” sign, worn and now covered by conduit, with no fire extinguisher to be seen; what must be a much older “sign” about a third of the way in from the right, which now seems to be completely blank; that interesting interruption of the wall near its base but a chunk of steel covered with rivets.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: shore

Seaweed and Pebbles, Weston Beach

Elephant Seal and Rock, Water’s Edge

Pier, San Francisco Bay, Morning

Pipe Covered Wall, Fire Extinguisher Sign

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.