Tag Archives: waves

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Pacific Northwest

Stream and Islands, Mile 337

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Stream and Islands, Mile 337
A stream crosses the sand to enter the Pacific Ocean among immense shoreline rocks and island and their reflections, Oregon coastline.

Stream and Islands, Mile 337. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A stream crosses the sand to enter the Pacific Ocean among immense shoreline rocks and islands and their reflections, Oregon coastline.

Last month we spent time in far Northern California photographing redwood forests and coastal subjects. Several things inevitably happen on these visits. One is that we always remark how this area feels more like Oregon than California. Another is that we often head up to and across the Oregon border. On the most recent trip we took a drive to the north one evening, but we mostly explored areas just south of the stateliness and when we reached the boundary we turned around. But this photograph comes from a previous trip on which one of these “short drives” took us a good distance up the Oregon coast.

This is a striking spot along that Oregon coastline — and it was even more appealing since there were a couple of people riding horses on this beach when we passed by. (They are not seen in this photograph… in case you were looking for them.) Like so many of these beautiful spots, this one is not marked as any sort of icon, and I did not know its name or even if it has one… so I made a photograph of milepost 337 when I finished photographing to help me remember.

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.

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

Black Sands Beach

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Black Sands Beach
Hikers and backpackers along the edge of the water at Black Sands Beach, Shelter Cove.

Black Sands Beach. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Hikers and backpackers along the edge of the water at Black Sands Beach, Shelter Cove.

The photograph comes from California’s “Lost Coast,” a rugged section in the far northern reaches of the state where the coastline is so rugged that few roads reach it and some sections are entirely roadless. Even the “Pacific Coast Highway” (Route 1) takes an extended inland jog here and travels through redwood country out of sight of the ocean. We explored two sections, one as part of a plan and the other on a literally last-minute whim.

For years we have passed the turn off to Shelter Cove and muttered something along the lines of, “Someday we really need to drive out there… but no time on this trip.” As I recall it, we were beginning to repeat that conversation as we approached the turn off on this homeward-bound drive — but this time we made a last-minute decision to turn of and take a look. This photograph looks northward up the coast from the edge of Shelter Cove, toward a 20-mile section that is accessible only on foot.

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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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.

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