California Photo Scout

Yellow Flower Field near Garrapata Beach

The fascination that is Highway 1 is still holding me in its tight grip after all these years. I remember most of my trips and my amazement and the incredible landscape unfolding behind every turn and hill. I used to ride this road even before I was a photographer for the pure joy of the drive.

The community of Big Sur is synonymous for a long stretch of rugged coast between Carmel and San Simeon that has stuck with me since my first visit as a tourist. Many famous artists have made this area their home. Some galleries, expensive hotels and restaurants hide between the viewpoints, but mostly this area is as wild and rough as it was years ago.

The coast around Big Sur receives more than its fair share of fog and rain, which keeps the vegetation lush and green throughout the year. From spring to early summer, wildflowers add color to the green landscape, much to the delight of many photographers like yours truly.

How to get there

From Monterey / Carmel head south on Highway 1 or drive north from San Luis Obispo. The entire route is simply spectacular and one of California’s most prized treasures. It shows with the large number of tourists crowding this unique landscape during the summer months. Make sure to fill up in San Luis Obispo and anywhere north of Monterey (Watsonville or other cities). Gasoline costs more between Monterey and San Luis Obispo.

I have highlighted two good locations where you may see wildflowers, but it changes each year.

GPS position

Garrapata Beach (picture above): 36°25′11.28″N 121°54′52.76″W

Pullout South of Big Sur: 36°10′10.53″N 121°41′3.91″W

How to photograph Wildflowers near Highway 1 and Big Sur

Lens Compression: The same scene, two different focal length creates a very different image

Looking for wildflowers while driving along Highway 1 is difficult. The flower patches often hide on the slopes facing the Pacific Ocean that are not visible from your car.

I noticed a certain herd mentality with many travelers. Nobody pulls into an empty parking spot, but when I pull up, many follow suit. As photographers we are used to follow our instincts instead of other people. Do not just pull over where everybody else does, but also look for wildflowers where no one stopped. During the peak travel season in summer, Highway 1 becomes very crowded and all pullouts have parked cars.

Always find a safe place to pull over and watch the road carefully when you take photographs near the road. The stunning scenery and the pure joy of curvy driving occupy travelers’ attention. As photographers, we are especially vulnerable to being preoccupied.

Once you found a colorful patch of flowers, you need to figure out a compelling composition. That can be extremely difficult or very easy, depending on where you found your flowers and how much area they cover. Sometimes it involves crouching down, laying flat on your stomach or standing as tall as you can.

I mounted my tripod on my car during the last visit. By moving my position away from the flowers much further, I had to zoom in to keep the flowers about the same size in my photograph while bringing the bridge close (telephoto lenses compress distance). Since the flowers were still relatively close, I had to use a very small aperture (f/22) which is already beyond the diffraction limit of my camera. In the picture, you can see the dramatic difference in composition that a wide-angle lens can make when compared to a short telephoto lens. The first inclination is always to use a wide-angle lens to fit the entire bush into the frame.

Me, My Car and My Tripod

Find a good composition and after taking the shot start thinking about how you could improve the composition further. Resist the urge to hop into your car to drive away and try out many different points of view and framing choices.

There are many trade-offs and other difficult choices you will have to make. The number of compositions you can find here are unlimited. Do not restrict yourself to increase the chance of creating successful images. Forget what other people are doing and do not pay attention to their puzzled looks. Move around constantly, climb on rocks and cars or crawl close to the ground. Whatever it takes to create great images. It is not always immediately obvious how things will look like, especially when you use a wide-angle lens, until you try it out.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

You can find wildflowers here from April to June, depending on the weather conditions and on the location. South facing slopes south of Big Sur start blooming first while the yellow carpets near Garrapata Beach often bloom as late as July. The exact time depends on the weather and the amount of rainfall. I shot all images on this page in May. I took the picture of the yellow fields on May 7, 2006 and the others on May 9, 2009, but I have shot similar pictures from March throughout June. I did not see any fields on 5/9/2009, but I think there is a good chance they will show up in a few weeks.

Afternoon often brings harsh light, but wildflower photography may still be acceptable. Mornings and late afternoons are usually the best. Sunsets can be spectacular but I have often seen a promising sky turn boring due to smog/haze out over the Pacific. That does not mean you should pass up a good opportunity for sunset photography. A good strategy is to keep driving wherever you have to go and start looking for a spot about one hour before sunset.

Time required

Driving from Carmel to San Simeon with frequent stops for photography takes at least half a day. You should make it a day and visit two of the fabulous state parks. A favorite is Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park with the renowned Mc. Way Falls (article coming later).

Equipment

• Tripod and Cable release
• Wide-angle lens
• Macro lens
• Macro filter and extension tubes
• CP filter
• Knee-Protection
• GPS
• Spare Memory Cards (you will shoot a lot here)
• Beach Towel (I’ve got wet feet on my last trip)
• Picnic basket and water (restaurants are overcrowded and expensive)

Fees

The state parks cost $10. You only need to pay once to enter several parks. State parks suffered from the California budget crunch. They used to be $5 just a short time ago. I recommend paying, since they are worth it. Many people choose to park outside and hike in.

Close Locations

• Carmel
• Carmel Mission
• Point Lobos State Reserve
• 17 mile drive
• Andrew Molera State Park
• Pfeiffer State Park
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
• Lime Kiln State Park
• Big Sur Area
• Bixby Creek to Andrew Molera
• San Simeon Sea Lions
• Hearst Castle

Useful Resources

Big Sur Information Website

California Department of Transportation (type CA-1 to search for road conditions on Highway 1)

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about other fascinating places. I will cover other areas and parks in detail in subsequent articles.

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