Rugged California Coast
Location: Soberanes Canyon, Garrapata State Park, California, Map
One of the best places to view rugged coastline of California is at the Garrapata State Park, which is located south of the city of Carmel. Garrapata state park is more widely known among landscape photographers for it's two famous sea stacks, which, in this picture, are hidden behind the arch.
Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 36mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 63sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grad Filters 0.9 and 0.6 stacked together
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.soberanes canyongarrapata beachmonterey county1908soberanescanyonruggedcoastlinehorizontalformat
"Doomsday Forecast" Location: Garrapata State Park, Monterey-Carmel Area, California. It is sometimes fun to venture out on a stormy day. As the clouds were just getting ready for the downpour I decided to make this final shot before heading back to shelter. Tech Info and Tip: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @28mm Camera: Canon 5D Mk II Exposure: 0.6sec at f/11 and ISO 50 Filters: SinghRay 3 Stop ND grad hard edge
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.5D Mk IILEE filtersND Grad FiltersSinghRay filtersSoberanes Canyonbay area photographybay area seascapesbig surcalifornia coastlinecaliforniacarmelcloudsfine art nature photographygarrapata beachgarrapata state parkhigh resolutionhighway 1large printlong exposuremonterey countypoolrockssan francisco seascapesscenic coastlinestormsunsetwaterwaves1391garrapatadangerdoomsdayforecasthorizontalformat
California Coastline
Location: Garrapata State Park, Monterey-Carmel Area, California, Map
The rugged California coastline around Big Sur area is one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. I have been fortunate enough to see and photograph it several times. My favorite time of the year to visit the coastline is during winter months when you can see interesting cloud formations and vibrant hues of sunset colors. This is a long exposure image which renders the water smooth and helps to bring out the beauty of the place further.
Tech Info and Tip:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @32mm
Camera: Canon 5D Mk II
Exposure: 30sec at f/11 and ISO 50
Filters: SinghRay 2 Stop ND grad hard edgeThe vibrant colors in the image are the result of sunset glow and long exposure time. It is often possible to obtain rich vibrant colors in an image if it is captured during twilight conditions when the light is warm and the shadows are not harsh. I emphasized the mood further by using long exposure that "averaged" the ripples in the water and created a surreal minimalist look.
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.5d mk iilee filtersnd grad filterssinghray filterssoberanes canyonbay area photographybay area seascapesbig surcalifornia coastlinecaliforniacarmelcloudsfine art nature photographygarrapata beachgarrapata state parkhigh resolutionhighway 1large printlong exposuremonterey countypoolrockssan francisco seascapesscenic coastlinestormsunsetwaterwaves1279garrapata
"Forces of Nature" Location: Garrapata State Park, Monterey-Carmel Area, California. The relentless forces have been at work since the dawn of time. Each crashing wave carves the shoreline in a seemingly intangible yet powerful way. Though it looks as if the rock is winning the battle the ocean will eventually erode it and the march will continue. Tech Info and Tip: Lens: Canon 70-200 f/4L @100mm Camera: 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/5sec at f/20 and ISO 50 Filters: SinghRay 2 stop ND grad hard edge This water splash needed precise triggering of the shutter button. I typically have mirror lock enabled, however, for such cases continuously looking through the viewfinder was a better option for precise triggering.
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.5D Mk IILEE filtersND Grad FiltersSinghRay filtersSoberanes Canyonbay area photographybay area seascapesbig surcalifornia coastlinecaliforniacarmelcloudsfine art nature photographygarrapata beachgarrapata state parkhigh resolutionhighway 1large printlong exposuremonterey countypoolrockssan francisco seascapesscenic coastlinestormsunsetwaterwaves3681garrapatawaveactionhorizontalformat
Crashing Waves
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.5d mk iilee filtersnd grad filterssinghray filterssoberanes canyonbay area photographybay area seascapesbig surcalifornia coastlinecaliforniacarmelcloudsfine art nature photographygarrapata beachgarrapata state parkhigh resolutionhighway 1large printlong exposuremonterey countypoolrockssan francisco seascapesscenic coastlinestormsunsetwaterwaves9491garrapata
Golden Stacks
Location: Garrapata State Park, Monterey-Carmel Area, California, Map
These sea stacks at Garrapata coast are very famous for their beauty. Every time I have visited this place over last three years I have seen photographers on the beach trying to shoot these stacks from different vantage points. Most often the hardest part is the get a good light on the stacks since sun sets behind them for most part of the year. However, late December light is unique. Just before sunset the last rays of the light make these stacks glow in a beautiful golden color. Using long exposure of the camera the waves were rendered smooth and the effect further enhanced the beauty of the stacks.
Tech Info and Tip:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 78mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 47 sec at f/20 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE 0.9 soft edge ND grad, circular polarizer and Hoya 8 stop solid ND filter
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.5d mk iilee filtersnd grad filterssinghray filterssoberanes canyonbay area photographybay area seascapesbig surcalifornia coastlinecaliforniacarmelcloudsfine art nature photographygarrapata beachgarrapata state parkhigh resolutionhighway 1large printlong exposuremonterey countypoolrockssan francisco seascapesscenic coastlinestormsunsetwaterwaves5706garrapata
"Ocean's Fury"
Location: Garrapata State Park, Monterey-Carmel Area, California.When I shot this image California was being battered with one crazy storm after another. It was sort of a freak storm with unusually high swells in the ocean and high surf warning along the coast for those few days. So on this particular morning while I was at Garrapata I got to witness the intensity of this storm up close and personal. I had never seen waves so crazy. Though I was using a long lens these waves were scary enough and made me run to higher ground a couple of times. It was fun.
Tech Info and Tip:
Lens: Canon 70-200 f/4L IS @ 85mm
Camera: 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/4sec at f/25 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE 0.9 soft ND Grad
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.5D Mk IILEE filtersND Grad FiltersSinghRay filtersSoberanes Canyonbay area photographybay area seascapesbig surcalifornia coastlinecaliforniacarmelcloudsfine art nature photographygarrapata beachgarrapata state parkhigh resolutionhighway 1large printlong exposuremonterey countypoolrockssan francisco seascapesscenic coastlinestormsunsetwaterwaves6309garrapatastacksoceanfuryhorizontalformat