"Pigeon Point Lighthouse" Location: Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Half-Moon Bay Area, California. The lighthouse was built in 1871 and stands at one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. On a cloudy I like to experiment using long exposures which not only allow me to smooth the water but also capture the wind driven motion of the clouds. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @33mm Camera: Canon 5D Mk II Exposure: 55sec at f/11 and ISO 160 Filters: SinghRay 3 Stop ND grad rotated during exposure The water here can come out overexposed. By rotating ND filters this can be minimized. Another technique is to simply block the light using an opaque object.
"North Palisades" Location: Dusy Basin, Kings Canyon Backcountry, California. These are some of the highest mountains in the Seirra Nevada range, next only to majestic Mt. Whitney. I captured this image while camping at scenic Dusy Basin. The backcountry hike to Dusy Basin is one of the most scenic hikes to do in eastern sierra mountains. The dusy, as a final destination, offers fantastic views of the sierra mountains and pristine quietness that is hard to find anywhere else. Making this particular image was an interesting adventure. We had planned a two day hike and it was raining on and off all the time. When we reached here it was raining again and I thought I would miss any opportunity to photograph here. Then clouds opened up giving me a brief window of about an hour when I could get this image. I was happy that the clouds were still in the sky while opening up just a bit to allow sunlight to shine on the peaks. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 26mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 5sec at f/16 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 soft edge along with Singh-Ray Vari ND solid grad set at about 8 sopts to allow long exposure One has to really visit eastern sierra landscapes to truly appreciate its beauty. I don't think any photograph can do the justice of what it feels to hike on barren landscapes, camp besides some of the most scenic lakes and feel out of breath at high altitudes. Over the years I have had a few chances to hike on eastern sierra mountains including Mt. Whitney, but only recently I began to photograph it. So here are few images from one of the most unique places on the Sierra-Nevada mountain range.
Location: Garrapata State Park, Monterey, California, Map The relentless forces of nature beat down on these two very famous and often photographed sea stacks of the Garrapata coastline. The stacks were once part of the coastline that once existed several miles into the ocean but has been gradually claimed by the sea. The best way to witness these natural forces in action is to see it in person and hear the thundering roar of crashing waves first hand. These two sea stacks make for a very good composition. It is not unusual to find a photographer or two at this spot anytime you visit. I made this image at sunrise on a February morning when the sun directly lit the stacks against background fog. I have been to this spot several times since then but always felt that I would never be able to able to replicate this image... sometimes you only get one chance to make an image and I was glad to have clicked at the right time. Tech Info and Tip: Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @70mm Camera: Canon 30D Exposure: 1sec at f/8.0 and ISO 100 Filters: Solid Hoya ND filter with 8 stops of light reduction to allow 1sec long exposure. This image is the result of so-called continuous shooting. I realized that it was terribly difficult to press the shutter button right at the moment when a wave would hit the stacks. Fortunately today's SLR's have continuous shooting mode where a burst of images can be shot allowing for one of them to have all the right elements in place. Garrapata state park is one of the most photographed locations on the California coast. People are drawn to this spot due to the rugged coastline and its famous sea stacks. Just south of Monterey, California it is one of the best places to see waves crashing against the rugged coastline.
