Tag Archives: summer

South Beach Harbor, Morning Fog

South Beach Harbor, Morning Fog

South Beach Harbor, Morning Fog. San Francisco, California. July 1, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning fog begins to clear over sailboats moored at South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, California.

On the first day of July – near the start of my summer break – I took the Caltrain to San Francisco very early in the morning and did one of my “photography walks” starting at the train station. I followed my most common route, walking past AT&T Park and then up The Embarcadero towards the Ferry Building. South Beach Harbor is just past AT&T, and at this early hour it is a very still and quiet place. On this morning it was still very foggy, but the fog was beginning to thin out over the bay, creating some interesting diffused light.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: san francisco, california, usa, summer, city, urban, travel, morning, fog, clear, light, south beach, harbor, dock, boat, yacht, sail, water, reflection, cove, sky, deck, mast, cats paw, ohana, embarcadero, barbary coast, shore, bay, cityscape, urban, sport, landscape, stock

Two Elephant Seals Sparring

Two Elephant Seals Sparring

Two Elephant Seals Sparring. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California. July 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two young elephant seals sparring at the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas, California.

From what I read, these are young “sub-adult” males who “spar” during the early summer period. The real battles are apparently waged by the adult males during the birthing and breeding period. I’m no expert on elephant seal behavior, but while these “sub-adult” sparring matches seem fairly benign, I’ve seen what appeared to be rather vicious battles between older, scarred males. These two fellows had at it for a few moments, belly bumping, intertwining their heads, and generally play fighting – while the other seals nearby seemed to not pay any attention at all.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: elephant, seal, rookery, beach, shore, piedras, blancas, california, usa, wildlife, sea, mammals, young, male, marine, mammal, spar, sparring, fight, behavior, summer, sand, water, ocean, pacific, highway, one, nature, travel, stock, animal, wild

Chairs and Tables, San Francisco Bay

Chairs and Tables, San Francisco Bay

Chairs and Tables, San Francisco Bay. San Francisco, California. July 1, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Chairs and tables on the sidewalk next to a fence along the Embarcadero with an old pier and San Francisco Bay beyond – San Francisco, California.

I found this slightly odd scene along The Embarcadero between South Beach Harbor and the San Francisco Ferry Building. These chairs and tables were cabled together, waiting to be set up for outdoor seating at a small restaurant. I think the range of brown tones in the image is interesting – not just the chairs and tables but also the old pier extending out into the San Francisco Bay.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: san francisco, california, usa, summer, city, urban, travel, fog, gray, water, bay, cyclone, fence, stacked, chairs, tables, wooden, sidewalk, the, embarcadero, pier, building, old, dilapidated, run down, stairs, cable, waterfront, old, travel, urban, street, scenic, stock, pattern

Pigeon, Yerba Buena Gardens Fountain, Buildings

Pigeon, Yerba Buena Gardens Fountain, Buildings

Pigeon, Yerba Buena Gardens Fountain, Buildings. San Francisco, California, July 1, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A pigeon alights at the edge of a fountain/pond at Yerba Buena gardens downtown San Francisco buildings beyond.

I photographed this on my first “San Francisco Photo Walk” of this summer season. The routine is that I catch a very early train to San Francisco, arriving in the city a few minutes before 7:00 a.m. Then, depending upon the weather and other factors, I wander off somewhere in The City looking for photographs. On this day I started with a ramble up The Embarcadero, photographing the South Beach yacht harbor, a old guy standing in the doorway of the Java Hut, a bunch of interesting old dilapidated waterfront structures and so forth as I walked. Once I reached the Ferry Building I headed up into The City, finally heading south toward the train station by way of Yerba Buena Gardens. I stopped here to photograph the main grassy area when I spotted this pigeon at the end of an elevated pond in which the distant buildings were reflected.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: san francisco, california, usa, summer, city, urban, travel, church, steeple, brick, cathedral, pigeon, bird, wings, flight, stretch, water, fountain, reflection, yerba buena, garden, trees, metreon, marriott, fog, sky, skyline, downtown, city, urban, hotel, pond, landscape, stock