Tag Archives: spray

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Winter Surf and Rocks, Point Lobos

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Winter Surf and Rocks, Point Lobos

Winter Surf and Rocks, Point Lobos. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. November 30, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of winter surf crashing on rugged coastal rocks in backlit fog and spray at Point Lobos, California.

I never get tired of watching and photographing these rugged rock formations as they are overrun by huge winter surf at Point Lobos – and, for that matter, just about anywhere else along the central and northern California coast. If you look closely you can just make out the forest covered hills of the Carmel Highlands area in the upper left corner.

This is another of the "long lens landscapes" I shot last weekend using the 100-400mm lens, in this case at about 180mm. I shot almost straight into the sun, which was brightly backlighting the fog and spray.

keywords: point lobos, reserve, park, state, california, usa, big sur, monterey, peninsula, pacific, ocean, coast, sea, seascape, landscape, surf, wave, rock, fog, mist, cloud, spray, silhouette, recession, atmosphere, scenic, travel, stock, tree, layers

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.

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

Winter Surf – Point Lobos

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Winter Surf - Point Lobos
Winter Surf – Point Lobos. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. February, 9, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of huge winter surf crashing over Point Lobos rocks.

In February of 2008 I visited the Big Sur area and then stopped at Point Lobos on the way home. The Pacific coast is often at its most impressive in winter and this was an exceptional day, with absolutely huge waves rolling in from the winter Pacific Ocean. At the actual Point Lobos (an area of rocks extending a good distance out from the shoreline) we were able to get very close to the roiling surf and huge crashing waves.

keywords: california, landscape, nature, ocean, pacific ocean, point lobos, rock, seascape, seashore, travel, usa, water, waves, winter, surf, crash, punta, lobos, marinos, monterey, peninsula, stock, spray, foam

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Cascade Creek Falls

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Cascade Creek Falls
Cascade Creek Falls. Yosemite National Park, California. May 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Color photograph of Cascade Creek Falls along Big Oak Flat Road into Yosemite Valley, California.

It is hard to imagine a more accessible waterfall than this one. The road into the Valley (the highway 120 route) passes right over this creek, and this photograph was made from the bridge. (This spot is also among my earliest memories of Yosemite, from childhood trips to the park with my parents. This waterfall, cascading down from unseen heights above, suggested to me at that early age that there was something interesting beyond the road. Turns out that this suggestion was right, and I’ve spent some decades enjoying that something. :-)

keywords: california, national park, Sierra Nevada, Spring, Yosemite, big oak flat, road, cascade, creek, fall, water, waterfall, spray, rock, stream, tree, spring, flow, valley, usa, landscape, scenic, travel, stock, boulder