Known as the “Queen of the Missions”, Santa Barbara Mission is a primary tourist attraction in Santa Barbara, a Spanish style coastal town in Southern California. The parish church is still in use today.

The façade of the mission and the nearby rose garden are popular backgrounds for wedding photography, whereas the mission grounds and the architecture are the main subjects for travel photographers and tourists interested in early California history.

The location of the Santa Barbara Mission sets it apart from all other California Missions. It sits atop a small hill, exposing it to a cool breeze from the ocean. The nearby Santa Ynez Mountains provide a wonderful backdrop for panoramic images while the rose garden is a popular foreground motif for mission photographs.

I highly recommend spending some time around the waterfront to soak up the cool relaxed atmosphere of Santa Barbara before photographing the mission. Take advantage of the location.

How to get there

The mission is located on 2201 Laguna Street in Santa Barbara.

From Highway 101 take the Mission Street exit (99A for northbound traffic, 99 for southbound traffic). Turn north onto Mission Street (right if you came northbound, left if you came southbound). Drive about 1 mile, then turn left onto Laguna Street. The mission will be straight ahead.

GPS position

• 34°26’16.65″N 119°42’48.21″W

How to photograph Mission Santa Barbara

Fountain

One way to take advantage of the location is by including as much of the Santa Barbara feeling in your photographs. Use the nearby hills, white colored buildings, and palm trees of Santa Barbara to convey a sense of place and southern vacation town feeling.

The mission church is massive and tends to overwhelm photographs. Put it in the background by photographing at an angle, similar to the fountain photograph above, where the church is some distance away. Using a short focal length will further diminish the size of the church and give you enough field of view (how wide the shot is) to include the reflection of the church in the pond.

The rose garden that is located across E. Los Olivos Street is yet another good foreground choice for the mission. There you need to use a longer focal length and step back from the roses and fountain in order to prevent the mission from becoming too small in your picture.

Jug

Use high ISO and image stabilization for your indoor shots. A wide-angle lens will help you to achieve maximum depth of field, even with wide apertures required due to the low light. At the same time, the wider angle is useful to include more of the indoor scene. Try to hold your camera straight. If you angle it up or down, you will get distorted images (converging verticals). If you have no other choice, make sure you leave enough room around your main subject to allow distortion correction and cropping on the computer.

The courtyard has a fountain and several tall palm trees, all of which are difficult to fit into a compelling composition. Instead, I chose to focus on the colonnade (below) and other architectural elements (above). The authentic looking roof tiling (above) is indicative of these missions. Don’t forget to capture some detail shots with your telephoto lens.

Colonnade

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The Mission is open between 9:00am to 5:00pm. If you come early, there will be less visitors and good light on the mission façade, including the fountain.

All seasons are good, but the garden will be most colorful in spring and early summer.

Time required

You should plan about 90 minutes for a visit. Anything less than one hour will be too rushed.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Zoom Lens
• IS lens (indoor shots)

I prefer to travel light in such locations. A small photo backpack contains only the necessary equipment. This allows me to stay mobile. I often do not even bring a tripod.

Fees

Adults pay $5, seniors pay $4 and children between 5-15 pay $1.

Close Locations

• Santa Barbara Presidio
• Santa Barbara Courthouse
• Santa Barbara Wharf
• Solvang
• Santa Ines Mission
• La Purisima Mission
• Nojoqui Falls Park
• Guadalupe Dunes
• Mission San Luis Obispo
• Shell Beach
• Mission San Buenaventura
• Ronald Reagan Library

Useful Resources

• Mission Website
• Historic Information
• Pictures and Information
• Santa Barbara Prints

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Santa Barbara’s Presidio hides in plain sight in Downtown Santa Barbara. Occupying parts of two typical city blocks, the red roofed buildings fit well into the overall city architecture making them nearly invisible at first glance.

The Presidio was the fourth and last fortress that the Spanish built in California. Not much is left of the original 1782 buildings. The reconstructed buildings are home to a few interesting artifacts and a fountain in the backyard that remains of the original building.

The Presidio is definitely not a main attraction for photographers, but it is worth a quick stop. It is a fantastic place to learn about California’s early settlement history.

How to get there

Santa Barbara Presidio is located on 123 East Canon Perdido Street.

Take the Garden Street Exit (98B) from Highway 101 northbound. Turn right onto Garden Street. Drive 6 blocks (0.5 miles) and turn left onto East Canon Perdido Street. El presidio will be on your right after one block.

Take the Camarillo Street Exit (98) from Highway 101 southbound. Turn left onto Camarillo Street. Drive 6 blocks (0.6 miles) and turn right onto Anacapa Street and left at the next intersection onto East Canon Perdido Street. The Presidio will be on your left.

GPS position

Presidio:

• 34°25’21.52″N 119°41’54.98″W

Casa de la Guerra:

• 34°25’13.11″N 119°41’57.33″W

How to photograph Santa Barbara Presidio

Awning

The remains of the Presidio only comprise a small portion of the original buildings. I recommend shooting RAW here, since the large dynamic range, the ratio between the brightest sun-lit areas and the darkest shades is very large. The indoor scenes and the brightly lit windows can easily overpower your camera’s capabilities. With RAW, you will be able to push the exposure levels a little higher, since most cameras allow you to restore one stop of overexposed highlights.

Watch your histogram and adjust your exposure if you notice that your highlights are clipped (right side of the histogram). Exposing correctly under these circumstances is very tricky. Sometimes you may have to decide which portion of the image you want to expose correctly. Indoor scenes often do not suffer much from blown out windows and sunny spots, whereas many outdoor scenes look best with correctly exposed highlights. In the image above, I recovered some highlights on the right building and some shadows on the roof in post processing.

Nearby Casa de la Guerra, the residence of the commander of the Presidio is worth another quick stop. It is part of the larger Paseo de la Guerra complex in Downtown Santa Barbara, located just one block southwest of the Presidio. You can take a tour of the Casa or simply stroll around the streets leading you to several photogenic old buildings and nearby Santa Barbara City Hall.

The busy street scenes are difficult to photograph. Try to unclutter your images. Crop tight around your main subjects, use selective focus (wide aperture) and zoom in to show the fine detail of many of the buildings, without revealing too much about the actual location. Such images often evoke a stronger reaction with viewers than images that show “too much”. Sometimes I like to include people in my photographs, but I wait for them to look at a feature I wish to portrait, to walk into my picture or perform some sort of action that enhances the picture through their presence.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The presidio opens daily between 10:30am to 4:30. It is closed on holidays. Photographically it makes little difference when you come. I prefer the afternoon light, but you can get good compositions during the mornings as well.

Time required

You do not need long to see the Presidio. About one hour to 90 minutes is sufficient.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens

Fees

Admission for adults is $5. Seniors pay $4 and Children 16 and under get in free of charge. Additionally, you may need to pay parking on busy days, although you can often find free curbside parking.

Close Locations

• Santa Barbara Courthouse
• Santa Barbara Mission
• Santa Barbara Wharf
• Solvang
• Santa Ines Mission
• La Purisima Mission
• Nojoqui Falls Park
• Guadalupe Dunes
• Mission San Luis Obispo
• Shell Beach
• Mission San Buenaventura
• Ronald Reagan Library

Useful Resources

• State Park Page
• SBTHP Presidio
• SB Presidio
• Santa Barbara Prints

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The quaint coastal town of Santa Barbara with its palm lined beaches and mountain vistas is also known as the American Riviera. Stearns Wharf, California’s oldest working wharf,  is a favorite tourist destination. Strolling over the water and feeling the wharf shudder under the power of the waves crashing against its pillars, taking a breath of fresh sea air while gawking at the busy fishing boats and surfers or hunting down a souvenir and and a tasty snack are among the many things you can do here to kill time.

To photographers the wharf is a superb platform and subject. From the pier you have sweeping views of Santa Barbara, you can see seals and albatross compete for fish, you can observe the surfers, and on good days even witness a whale blow in the distance. The wooden colorful stores, tourist crowds, and pillars of the pier are also worthwhile subjects.

How to get there

From Highway 101 southbound, take the Castillo Street Exit. After four blocks, turn left onto W Cabrillo Boulevard, at a T-intersection. The wharf entrance will be on your right after 0.4 miles.

From Highway 101 northbound, take the Garden Street Exit (98B). Turn left on Garden Street and follow it to the T-intersection with Cabrillo Boulevard. Turn right onto Cabrillo Boulevard. The wharf entrance will be on your left after 0.2 miles.

GPS position

• 34°24’36.19″N 119°41’8.89″W

How to photograph Stearns Wharf

Santa Barbara from Wharf

Stearns Wharf provides a unique view of Santa Barbara, combining the mountains, city, and palm lined beach into a single frame. This is the view people know from the media. It is what tourists expect to see when they come to Stanta Barbara and it often shapes the mental picture many people have of the Central to Southern California Coast.

Photographing from a distance with a long focal length draws the mountains and the beach close together, almost squeezing the city out of existence. This view makes Santa Barbara appear like a small Mediterranean Village

Pelicans

The wharf itself is also very photogenic. For this article I have chosen two unusual photographs of the wharf to demonstrate the diversity of images you can take here. The picture above shows a flock of pelicans resting on the rooftop of a shop, waiting for another fishing boat to throw their leftovers overboard. You can find the skull of the picture below on the top of yet another store roof toward the south of the pier. The seagull and the dark clouds in the background created a wonderful eerie atmosphere that I could use to my advantage.

I used a telephoto lens to frame the bird and the skull tightly, eliminating distracting background elements. The wharf is busy and it is too easy to end up with cluttered images.

SB Pier Skull

Most of the subjects on the wharf are of a brighter nature. Colorful candy stores and themed restaurants are the common suspects you can find on most tourists wharfs.

Thungsten lights bathe the wharf in a warm yellow glow at night, creating a colorful contrast against the cold blue sky and distant sea.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The light is perfect during late afternoons and sunset. The clouds are more interesting in winter, but the weather is less predictable. Summers are mild and pleasant on the wharf.

Night offers a different experience that is worth another trip to the wharf if your schedule permits it.

Time required

I recommend taking things slow and appreciating a perfect day on the wharf. Get into the mood with a stroll first before you start taking pictures later.

For an unrushed experience, I suggest about two hours. One hour is sufficient to take some quality pictures, but you will feel rushed.

Equipment

• Telephoto Lens
• Normal Lens
• CP and UV filters
• Tripod (panoramas and night shots)

Fees

You can park directly on the wharf for $2.50 per hour. The first 90 minutes are free with validation from any of the wharf merchants. There is a 15-minute grace period to turn around and leave. Unless you have other shopping plans or plan to eat on the wharf, I recommend to pick up some of the excellent saltwater taffy and validate your parking in the candy store.

Disabled parking is $1 per hour.

Close Locations

• Santa Barbara Courthouse
• Santa Barbara Mission
• Santa Barbara Presidio
• Solvang
• Santa Ines Mission
• La Purisima Mission
• Nojoqui Falls Park
• Guadalupe Dunes
• Mission San Luis Obispo
• Shell Beach
• Mission San Buenaventura
• Ronald Reagan Library

Useful Resources

• Official Website
• Virtual Tour
• Santa Barbara Prints

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Santa Barbara’s nestles between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Coast. The Spanish architecture and clean, palm dotted neighborhoods, and the superb location create a relaxed holiday atmosphere unparalleled anywhere else. When city planners chose to rebuild Santa Barbara in this clean villa like image, they built America’s most beautiful courthouse as the crown jewel of city architecture.

Santa Barbara’s Superior Court occupies an entire block in downtown. The building complex features a tall clock tower, a garden, murals, a fountain, ornaments, tiles, and other architectural highlights. Of all the features, the views of Santa Barbara from the “El Mirador” clock tower are the most remarkable.

No other building in downtown is higher, making this the best spot to photograph overviews of the city. Amazingly, I have never encountered crowds on the tower during my previous visits, but tourist traffic has increased over the years.

Do not miss the chance to visit the courthouse and enjoy the view from the eighty-five feet tall tower.

How to get there

The courthouse is located on 1100 Anacapa Street.

If you travel on Highway 101 southbound, take the Mission Street Exit (99). Turn left onto Mission Street. After five blocks, turn right onto State Street Route. Drive 0.7 miles, then turn left on E Victoria Street and immediately right onto Anacapa Street. The courthouse is one block further on Anacapa Street.

If you travel on Highway 101 northbound, take the Garden Street Exit (98B). Turn right onto Garden Street and follow it for about 0.8 miles. Then turn left onto E Anapamu Street. The courthouse will be on your left after one more block.

GPS position

• 34°25’26.84″N 119°42’9.88″W

How to photograph Santa Barbara Court House

Anacapa Wing

Photographing the courthouse in bright daylight is challenging. The brightness of the white building tends to overexpose. Review your histogram often and use spot metering to read the courthouse itself. Although this tends to result in overall underexposed pictures, it is possible to restore shadow detail. Clipped highlights on the other hand are lost forever.

You can potentially restore about one stop of overexposure from a raw file with most cameras. This requires a lot of experience in judging how far you can push your camera and how to interpret the histogram. A good RAW converter is essential in getting the best results from high dynamic range situations like this. Further noise filtering of restored shadow detail improves results.

An obvious alternative to deal with the high dynamic range is to create HDR photographs. This does however require a tripod. I recommend leaving it in the car before you enter the building, due to the security checks.

Hall

Avoid using flash for your indoor photographs. Use only available light and boost your ISO sensitivity as much as necessary to get the results you want. Since the courthouse is dark, that will not be easy. I shot the pictures on this page a few years ago, without tripod support and without Image Stabilization at ISO 800. You should be able to get some decent photographs as well.

Since hand movement is random, you will usually get a few sharp pictures if you take many photos in rapid succession, even if the shutter speed is very slow. By chance, a few of these pictures just “happen” to be sharp.

Mural Room

The mural room stands out as the court’s most lavishly garnished room. Everything from the floor tiles to the ceiling is decorated with elaborate detail. The murals are giant paintings depicting scenes of California’s early history, up to the construction of the Mission.

This room is even darker to preserve the paintings. Therefore, you also cannot use your camera flash. You need patience to get a sharp photograph without people in it.

It is always a good idea to capture close-ups of the texture of the paintings, the chandeliers, the ceiling and ornaments.

Court Tower Panorama

Take the elevator to the top of the clock tower. The views of Santa Barbara are breathtaking. I took the picture of the introduction and the panorama above from there.

Using a polarizing filter helps to remove glare from the water and the reflections from the windows of all buildings. It also brings out the colors in the roofs and the foliage. Since CP filters can lead to unnaturally saturated skies, it is always a good idea to only turn the filter as far as necessary. It is too easy to overuse these filters, as everything tends to “pop” more when you through the viewfinder with a CP filter attached.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The courthouse opens daily from 9:30 to 4:30.  The weather is more predictable in summer and due to the close location to water, smog is rarely an issue, making this a good location to fill an empty spot of your day.

Time required

You need about two hours to photograph the courthouse exterior, its interior features and take the ride to the tower for the best view of Santa Barbara.

Equipment

• Super-zoom lens with IS
• High ISO capable camera
• CP and UV filters

Do not bring a tripod and use a small camera bag if you can, since you will have to pass through security checkpoints to enter the courthouse.

Fees

Visiting the courthouse is free of charge. Parking is a bit difficult and you may end up having to pay. Look for a parking meter and allow sufficient time for an unrushed visit.

Close Locations

• Santa Barbara Presidio
• Santa Barbara Mission
• Santa Barbara Wharf
• Solvang
• Santa Ines Mission
• La Purisima Mission
• Nojoqui Falls Park
• Guadalupe Dunes
• Mission San Luis Obispo
• Shell Beach
• Mission San Buenaventura
• Ronald Reagan Library

Useful Resources

• Official Court Website
• Architectural Features
• Santa Barbara Prints

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Legendary California sunsets, spectacular nature, and a diverse beach community define Pismo Beach, a family friendly community located on the Central Coast of California. Once known as the Clam Capital of the World, Pismo Beach preserves the spirit of the golden days, when daydreamers and thrill seekers met to surf the impressive waves and relax at the beach or in their hippie vans.

You can still encounter this rare breed of aging super hippies who stubbornly refuse to grow up. While observing them pass through life with a remarkable ease, I sometimes wish I could peel off my hard working skin and join them in their endless summer.

I enjoy sitting on the pier and romanticizing the bum lifestyle, but when the sun sets, it is time for me to wake up and work my camera to capture the beauty of Pismo Beach.

How to get there

Heading north on US-101 in Pismo Beach, take Price Street exit and follow Price Street to the intersection of Pomeroy Avenue. Turn left on Pomeroy Avenue and find a parking spot.

Take the CA-1 exit if you head south on US-101 and drive straight-ahead onto Dolliver Street. Continue until you get to the intersection with Pomeroy Avenue and turn right.

GPS position

Pier:

• 35° 8’19.84″N 120°38’34.18″W

Monarch Butterfly Grove:

• 35° 7’46.91″N 120°37’55.44″W

How to photograph Pismo State Beach

Pismo SB Pier Sunset

Capturing the beauty of a beach on camera is no easy task. Fortunately, Pismo Beach has a fantastically photogenic pier that can serve as a foreground to your sunset photos or as a platform to photograph the city, the beach below, the spectacular coast, the surfers, and the albatrosses.

Walk to the end of the pier and turn around for a superb view of the town’s houses hugging the hilly landscape (image below) and to watch the surfers below and the beachgoers dig for clams.

Pismo Beach

For my sunset photographs, I prefer to use the pier in the foreground. The wide-angle lens that I used in the picture of the introduction and the picture above makes the sun appear small and star like. It also lets me capture the shadows and light below the pier that seem to radiate from the sun itself. This draws the viewer deeper into the center of the picture. In the introduction picture, I used the golden mean to place my horizon, the sun, and the end of the pier off center. This creates a dynamic composition. The pier leads directly from the top left of the frame, where westerners usually start “reading” a picture, directly to the sun, the main focal point of the image.

Golden Glow

I used a telephoto lens to capture the image above. The golden light of the sunset reflects on the wet sand after the water retreats. Using a telephoto lens lets me pull the pier closer. It also changes the appearance of the highlights that dominate a much larger area of the frame, creating strong contrast.

CHiP

Pismo Beach is also the winter home of tens of thousands of monarch butterflies. A special generation is born that makes the 2000-mile journey south from Canada. The countless individuals that cluster together to preserve heat are a remarkable sight and offer a unique chance to photograph one of nature’s miracles.

Monarchs

The bright sky in the picture above distracts too much from the butterflies. Try to find a cluster that you can photograph against a darker tree crown. Making your main foreground subject brighter than the background usually works better, since our minds instinctively focus on brighter areas.

Photographing with a long lens against a dark background may require that you boost your ISO sensitivity, even on bright days.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The Monarch Grove is staffed from 10am to 4pm from November to February. There are no butterflies here during the rest of the year.

I prefer the atmosphere of a winter sunset, but the weather in Pismo Beach is usually good throughout the entire year.

Time required

You do not need long to discover Pismo Beach, but you can spend an entire weekend here. The choice is yours. Conveniently located along Highway 101, you can just take the exit, see the sunset, and continue your trip. A short walk on the pier takes no more than 30 minutes.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Telephoto lens
• Tripod
• Binoculars
• Quarters to feed the meters

Fees

Entrance to the Monarch Grove is free of charge. Parking directly at the pier is metered, but the beach parking lot about 0.2miles south (between Park Avenue and Addie Street) was still free during my last visit.

Close Locations

• Shell Beach
• Avila Beach
• Guadalupe Dunes Park
• Point Sal State Park
• Santa Maria
• San Luis Obispo Mission
• Mission San Miguel Arcangel
• Montana de Oro State Beach
• Morro Bay
• Santa Ines Mission
• La Purisima Mission
• San Simeon Otters and Seals

Useful Resources

• Tides in Pismo Beach
• Pismo SB

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One of California’s most iconic and most photographed locations is McWay Falls, part of the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Less than ten years ago, I was alone on the overlook trail. Today, tourists step on each other’s toes.

It is no surprise. The serene beauty of this place will blow you away. A secret cove, a waterfall that plunges into the ocean, and turquoise waters seem to stem from the imagination of a painter, yet the unspoiled nature of this park is real. The solitude is all but gone these days, but you can still capture the essence of this place, thanks to the non-existent access to the beach below.

Understandably, most people come to see McWay Cove and leave in a rush to see even more of Big Sur’s beautiful coastline. However, if you have time, you should consider the canyon hike opposite to the overlook trail that leads you through a coastal forest to yet another waterfall. Not nearly as spectacular, the refreshing hike offers a pleasant diversion from the day’s driving and from the crowds.

Do not miss California’s most spectacular beach cove!

How to get there

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is located about 39 miles south of Carmel, 11 miles south of Big Sur and about 52 miles north of San Simeon. A sign will announce the park, the entrance of which leads east of the road, into a small canyon. The falls are opposite the entrance. You can catch a glimpse of them about 200m north of the entrance from the road.

Highway 1 often is washed away during the raining season, which can last until May. Check the road conditions on the park website and on the California Department of Transportation website (links in the resource section below) to find out if you can reach the park from your end.

GPS position

• 36° 9’32.05″N 121°40’13.81″W

How to photograph Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park

McWay Falls

McWay Cove with McWay Falls is spectacular. The overlook trail (see image in the introduction) is the best option to photograph this natural wonder. From the road above the overlook, you can find a slightly different view. The small pullout is located about 200m or 0.13 miles north of the entrance to the park. I took both images of the falls from the trail and I recommend taking the trail, since it offers you the most variety of compositions.

The cove should be on your list of places along Highway 1, even though it is difficult to create a picture that is uniquely yours in a location photographed as much as this.

The image in the introduction is a high dynamic range panoramic photograph. I combined three vertical pictures times three exposures each (9 pictures) into a very wide-angle composition. Purposely including the trail to create something different, I took advantage of the late time and the long exposure to show an empty trail, which is a deception. I shot the photograph about 20 minutes after sunset. The color in the clouds had already begun to fade and everyone but one couple had left. The long exposure helped me to make the moving people invisible in this shot.

The vertical composition above shows the waterfall much larger. As the late afternoon sun hit the fern in the foreground, it was shimmering golden, begging to be included in this composition. The longer focal length emphasizes the waterfall even more. You have to look for it in the image from the introduction, due to the small size. However, the image has a very high resolution and when it is blown up, the waterfall looks gorgeous.

Canyon Falls (image by Eric Chan)

The canyon trail is a nice diversion. I hiked it a long time ago, but during my most recent visits, the park service had closed it, lacking the funds to repair damaged bridges. Eventually the trail should open again. Do not forget to bring your tripod. The dense forest canopy is perfect for long exposures that make the waterfall look like a veil of silk.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Sunset is by far the best time to visit the park. Most people will have left by the time the sun sets, except for a few latecomers. After your visit, you will have to drive along the most scenic route in California in complete darkness, which is why not everyone will have the luxury to come here for sunset. The afternoon light is also superb and in this case, you will still be able to enjoy Highway 1 afterwards.

The angle of the sun for afternoon light is best in summer, when it lights the entire waterfall. In winter, the bottom part of the falls may be in the shade (see picture in the previous section). However, the winter clouds make the sunsets more spectacular and the location of the sun lets you include it in your composition.

Therefore, winter is best for sunset photos whereas summer is best for afternoon photos.

Time required

It takes less than 30 minutes to see the waterfalls. The overlook trail takes no more than 5 minutes each way. If you plan to hike the Canyon, you need to add two more hours. Check the park website. During my previous visits, the canyon trail was closed.

Equipment

• Normal Zoom Lens
• CP filter
• ND Filter to slow down exposure
• Wide-angle lens
• Tripod
• Cable release

Fees

The park used to be free, but today there is a $10 parking fee. Several people choose to park on the street, but most of Highway 1 is a no parking zone, except for some nearby pullouts. Even though it is possible to park and quickly hike to the falls and back, it is not worth risking a ticket or bodily injury.

Close Locations

• Pico Blanco Lighthouse
• Garrapata State Park
• Andrew Molera State Park
• Old Coast Road
• Big Sur Wildflowers
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
• San Simeon Otters and Seals
• Hearst Castle
• Point Lobos State Reserve

Useful Resources

• Official Website
• California Road Conditions

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The stretch of California Highway 1 that hugs the coastline between Carmel and San Simeon is among the most iconic drives in world. Featured in countless movies, commercials, and print advertisements, this section of highway symbolizes the freedom of the open road. Countless drivers from around the world come here each year to enjoy this spectacular scenic detour.

Although driving without stopping is one of the greatest joys, we will take a detour from the detour and explore a backcountry road that leads us through the nearby mountains, where we will find tranquility from Highway 1, which does tend to get too busy occasionally. The green meadows, hills, and creeks offer a glimpse of another California, where time paces itself.

Overlooks with spectacular views, wildflowers, and Bixby Creek Bridge itself abundantly provide us with photo subjects that make this also a worthy detour for photography.

How to get there

Bixby Creek Bridge lies about 14.5 miles south of Carmel. Just north of the bridge is the north turnoff of Old Coast Road. Despite its very visible location, it is easy to miss. The south turnoff is opposite to the entrance to Andrew Molera State Park, about 4.5 miles north of Big Sur.

GPS position

North Turnoff

• 36°22’21.02″N 121°54’9.58″W

South Turnoff

• 36°17’18.54″N 121°50’39.64″W

Bixby Bridge Viewpoint

• 36°21’27.04″N 121°54’9.34″W

How to photograph Bixby Bridge Mountain Loop

Bixby Bridge at Night

Driving along Highway 1 is one of the greatest pleasures known to men. The unbelievable rugged landscape, sweeping views, and pure joy of gliding along without a particular goal and just for the pleasure of the drive are hard to beat. One of the greatest sights is the Bixby Creek Bridge, connecting Big Sur to the Carmel Headlands. The bridge is in perfect harmony with the landscape, a superb photographic subject.

One of my favorite places to photograph the bridge is from the viewing area about 1.2 miles south of the bridge. I took the picture in the introduction and the night picture from here. I had envisioned the night photograph for a long time, but always failed to be here at the right time. On a recent trip back from Morro Bay I ran late again, but I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, I arrived at the viewpoint a full hour after sunset. Finding it was difficult too, due to complete darkness. The GPS coordinates in the previous section should make it easier for you to find. After I arrived, I set up my tripod. Composing the shot was next to impossible, since it was so dark. Using the level of my camera and tripod, I set up a straight shot and exposed it for 10 minutes, guessing a good exposure. I waited for a line of cars and took the shot. The image turned out ok, but if you can make it here 15-20 minutes after sunset, you will get much better results.

The rest of the distance between the two points is equally spectacular, allowing me to skip the description and focusing on our detour.

Into the Mountains

The subtler subjects of Old Coast Road require adjustment after you drove along the scenic wonders of Highway 1 to get here. Stop for a short while before your embark on your back road trip and re-tune your composition meters.

Compared to Highway 1 between Brixby Bridge and Andrew Molera, this trip may seem unspectacular at first glance, but the lack of tourist traffic and the intimate connection you will feel with this area make up for the lack of grand scenic landscapes. You can still find worthy subjects, but you will not have to share them with as many people.

The road ascends steeply from Highway 1, unveiling gorgeous views of the rolling hills meeting the ocean. The north end of the road climbs into a coastal redwood forest. The majestic trees look spectacular on foggy days. A small creek (Little Sur River) crosses the road after a short while. Small meadows are the perfect place for an afternoon picnic, as long as you respect private property lines.

California Poppies on Coast Road

Eventually the road climbs out of the valley and the forest gives way to rolling hills. Wildflowers line the side of the road in spring. Unfortunately, the best patches of flowers usually lie behind fences encircling private land. I used a wide-angle lens and a point of view very close to the ground to make the most of the flowers at the side of the road, hiding the fence, when it occurred to me to include the fence and flowers as the main subject.

Entangled

As the road continues south, the view to the ocean will open up, giving you the chance to spy on the drivers who zip past this detour, not even knowing of its existence. You can see the Pico Blanco Lighthouse in the distance and eventually the parking lot of Andrew Molera State Park. There are several good views on the way back down to the Highway. The main difficulty is finding a good place to pull over. It is easy to become lazy with all the fresh air and sun. Don’t be! Sometimes you need to pull out past your composition. Walk back and take the shot anyways.

Overlook

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

I prefer to visit this area in spring. Unlike other places, spring is longer in Big Sur, since the fog and occasional rain prevent the coastline from drying out. If you visit between late February and late May, you have a good chance of finding wildflowers.

I often seek refuge from the hot summers near the coast. The Big Sur area is always a welcome place to visit during summer.

Time required

The drive along the Old Highway takes less than 45 minutes. Stopping and taking many photographs takes no more than 2 hours, including the drive. Obviously, you need more time if you take my advice and have a picnic here. The drive between the two end-points on Highway 1 takes just 10 minutes.

Equipment

• Normal Zoom Lens
• CP filter
• Wide-angle lens
• Telephoto lens
• Tripod (night and macro)
• Cable release
• SUV (after rain)
• Picnic basket

Fees

There is no fee to drive along this road.

Difficulty Getting There

The dirt road may be impassable with a passenger car after a rainstorm. In winter, you therefore need to be prepared to turn back. In summer, you should not have any issues.

You will find several private residences up here. Please pay attention to the signs and stay off private property.

Close Locations

• Pico Blanco Lighthouse
• Andrew Molera State Park
• Garrapata State Park
• Big Sur Wildflowers
• Point Lobos State Reserve
• Carmel Mission
• Carmel
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
• Cambria and Cayucos

Useful Resources

• A bicyclist’s perspective

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Solvang, a Danish town, is located in the fertile Santa Ynez valley, just north of Santa Barbara. The valley receives nearly 300 days of sunshine every year and is home to many fine wineries. The climate could not be more different from the northern European Denmark, yet the city, complete with Danish style studwork houses (bindingsvaerk), windmills and Danish culture feels authentic.

It is fun to explore California’s quaint little Denmark and immerse yourself in a different culture, in a town where time seems to stand still. The stores carry items that you can only find here and the bakeries tempt your senses with the sweetest smells. During Danish Days in September, the town turns into a giant fairground, where the towns’ people celebrate their Scandinavian heritage.

By virtue of its uniqueness, Solvang is already worth the small detour. Once you encounter the friendly people, the culture and the sights, sounds and smells of Solvang, the city will enthrall you and make you Danish for the day. Photographing this wonderful town, while nibbling on some local delicacies, is pure fun. Don’t miss out on it.

How to get there

Solvang Map

Head north on Highway 101 from Santa Barbara. Take exit 101B (State Street) toward CA-154 / Cachuma Lake and follow CA-154 for about 24 miles. Turn left on CA-246 (Mission Drive). After about 5 miles, you will come to Santa Ines Mission. Turn left into Alisal Road, just past the Mission. One block further you will find a parking lot on your left and one block after that, you can turn left, just behind the windmill for another parking lot.

Heading south on Highway 101, take exit 140A toward CA-246 in the town of Buellton, about 30 miles south of Santa Maria. Follow CA-246 for about 3 miles into town.

GPS position

• 34°35’40.31″N 120° 8’19.29″W

How to photograph Solvang

Rasmussens

Creating visually striking pictures is not easy in Solvang. The amount of information within each scene quickly becomes overwhelming, since there is simply too much going here. I eliminated colors from some of my images, which helps to simplify the pictures. Solvang’s constantly blue skies, red roofs and vivid storefronts add even more complexity to the already busy images.

The streets are usually too crowded to isolate a single interesting person or group while simultaneously not crowded enough to have all individuals melt together in the mass. Street photography in Solvang thus requires a lot of patience, unless you come during one of the many celebrations, where town’s people in folk customs roam the streets.

I have to return to Solvang to capture more architectural details and the beautiful smiles of the friendly people who live here. You should take note of my omission and plan your visit better.

Solvang Square

Solvang feels so different from the Hispanic architecture of California, that it is easy to forget where you are. The colonnades, alleyways and small courts comprise a gorgeous European town.

Using a wide-angle lens for the picture above and the introduction picture helped me to connect the viewer of the pictures to the places. Wide-angle compositions are more intimate, since they are usually closer to the subjects. The photograph of the woman in high heels is more detached. It places the viewer in the position of an observer, thus creating distance, simply by using a longer focal length. This aspect is important to remember when you photograph groups of people. It may seem easier to pry from a distance, but the pictures will lack involvement.

clock

Detail photographs enhance your portfolio and help to tell a better story. Solvang is filled with adornments and architectural oddities, such as the storks on many of the roofs that bring good luck according to Danish tradition.

windmill

The windmills are the most obvious photographic subjects, but they are also the hardest to photograph during the day, especially in winter when the sun is lowest. Take your time finding the best point of view on these magnificent buildings. The most obvious often is not the best. It pays to move and to leave no path untraveled. Who knows what you might discover in a side street.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Spring is the best time for a visit to Solvang, since the surrounding valley will come to live with wildflowers. I took the pictures of this article in winter, which proves that you can create good photos year round in Solvang.

Time required

One half day is sufficient to photograph the city and get your fill of Danish delicacies.

Equipment

• Telephoto Lens
• Wide-angle lens
• Small Point and Shoot Camera

Fees

Visiting the town is free of charge, but you should not walk away without trying the famous Aebleskiver in the Solvang Restaurant and visiting a Danish bakery for some amazing cookies.

Close Locations

• Santa Ines Mission
• La Purisima Mission
• Nojoqui Falls Park
• Santa Barbara Mission
• Santa Barbara Presidio
• Santa Barbara Courthouse
• Santa Barbara Wharf
• Guadalupe Dunes
• Mission San Luis Obispo
• Shell Beach
• Mission San Buenaventura
• Ronald Reagan Library

Useful Resources

• Official Website

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Morro Bay is a delightful fishing town with a sheltered harbor. At the entrance of the harbor towers Morro Rock, a volcanic granite dome and Morro Bay’s most prominent feature.

I used to bypass Morro Bay on my travels after I first moved to California. From a distance, it did not seem to offer much and the three smoke stacks of the local power plant are still an eyesore to me. Since then I have come to appreciate Morro Bay. The fishing boats, the sea life, and the dramatic sunsets that backlight an equally dramatic landscape have won me over. I love coming to Morro Bay and I am never short on excuses for another stop at Morro Bay. After all, it is conveniently located at the confluence of Highways 1 and 101.

Do not miss Morro Bay, a fantastic family destination with countless photography choices.

How to get there

Morro Bay is located about 13 miles north of San Luis Obispo on Highway 1, about 17 miles west of Atascadero on Highway 41 and about 20 miles south of Cambria on Highway 1. Morro Bay is impossible to miss if you take any of these roads.

Morro Bay is located at the coast, almost at the exact halfway point between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

GPS position

• 35°22’0.67″N 120°51’13.42″W

How to photograph Morro Bay

Morro Bay State Park

Heron at Morro Bay State Park

The saltwater marsh at the northern end of Morro Bay State Park is a perfect location for bird photography. All kinds of sea birds come here to hunt and congregate. The blue heron above just caught his lunch.

You will need a telephoto lens of at least 300mm for the birds. If you have a shorter lens, you can still photograph the birds, but you may have to crop your images. Alternatively, you can capture a few vertical images with the sand spit and colorful kayaks in the background.

The Estuary in the southern part of the park should make a perfect sunset location. You can capture the reflecting sunlight in the arms of the water tentacles from South Bay Boulevard. The park also has a small marina where you can rent a kayak and explore the bay in greater depth.

Bayshore Bluffs and Tidelands Parks

Bayshore Bluffs Park - Morro Bay

Just north of the State Park is the small Bayshore Bluffs Park. At first glance, it looks underwhelming, but then I discovered the stairs at the southern end of the park. The stairs lead to a small beach that is completely covered in oyster shells. Boat owners land their small craft here, which make a fantastic foreground for the bay.

I used a medium range lens and stepped several meters back from the boat to avoid dwarfing Morro Rock in the distance. This meant that I needed a very small aperture to get the boat and the rock sharp at the same time. I used f/14 on my 7D, which means I would get a small amount of diffraction, un-sharpness caused by light bending. In post-processing, I sharpened the image.

Tidelands Park, just north of Bayshore Park, is another good place to photograph the boats anchored in the harbor and the cheeky squirrels waiting for handouts.

At the docks

Ye Olde Man

Most visitors to Morro Bay come to the docks and the shops and restaurants just south of them. This is where most of the tourist activity takes place, the bustling heart of Morro Bay. I took the sunset picture from the introduction here and countless other images. Most of my images are from this area, since there is simply so much to see here.

Sometimes, seals rest on the docks or goof around in the water. Colorful storefronts and playfully excited children are also good motives if you are not shy. The old weathered fishing vessels moored at the docks add an authentic flair to the entire area that you cannot find anywhere else.

On the Breakwater

Surfers

If you take a drive to Morro Rock, you will get a different perspective on the city and Morro Strand State Beach to the north. The latter is a popular surfer destination. You need a long lens to capture the action. Alternatively, a shorter focal length will give you a scenic postcard view of the waves, the surfers, and the northern fringes of Morro Bay, nestling in the foothills.

Morro Bay at night

A good place to end your day of photography, before settling down for a fresh seafood dinner, is Coleman Park. The best time is about 15 to 30 minutes after sunset. Increase your ISO setting slightly to keep the exposure times below a couple of seconds. Otherwise, the boats will look slightly blurry, due to the motion of the water.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Morro Bay has something for every season. Sunsets are more dramatic in winter, while the weather is more pleasant and predictable in summer. Summer brings more fog, which can add to the atmosphere of your images. Spring and fall are also good, since you will have less competition from other travelers.

Time required

Depending on the depth of your visit, you need between one hour and one day. If you have only a short amount of time, stay near the docks and the restaurants.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Normal Lens
• Tripod and Cable release

Fees

There are no fees to pay, but you should sit down in one of the countless seafood restaurants along Embarcadero or Front Street.

Close Locations

• Montana de Oro State Park
• Avila Beach
• Shell Beach
• Pismo State Beach
• Guadalupe Dunes Park
• Point Sal State Park
• Hearst Castle
• Santa Maria
• San Luis Obispo Mission
• Cambria and Cayucos
• San Simeon Pier and Seals
• San Miguel Mission

Useful Resources

• Morro Bay Brochure (pdf)
• Morro Bay Website
• State Park Page

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The drive along scenic Highway 1 is one of my favorite pastime activities in summer. The drive in itself is immensely satisfying, even without stopping, yet each stop reveals something special. San Simeon is one of those stops that does not always reveal its beauty at first glance, but does fascinate countless visitors who dare to take a second look.

Learn about the enchanting wildlife viewing spot that brings you close to the majestic elephant seals, allowing you to observe and photograph them in their natural habitat. Discover the otters dancing with seagulls beneath the pier in Hearst Park.

San Simeon is famous for nearby Hearst Castle SHP. Many visitors see the Castle, but miss the real stars of San Simeon, the sea mammals.

How to get there

San Simeon Map

San Simeon is located about 30 miles north of Morro Bay, along the Pacific Coast Highway US-1 and about 90 miles south of Carmel. During the winter months, heavy rains sometimes wash away the road between Carmel and San Simeon. Check the road conditions page in the resource section if you wish to take the scenic route along US-1. Take US-101 south and US-46 across the mountains from Paso Robles as a detour.

Hearst Park is opposite the turn-off to Hearst Castle SHP, on the west side of CA-1, just north of Motel City San Simeon. The Elephant Seal viewing area is about another 4.5 miles north of the park and just south of Piedras Blancas Light Station.

GPS position

Hearst Park with Pier:

• 35°38’35.12″N 121°11’14.19″W

Elephant Seal Viewing:

• 35°39’47.44″N 121°15’28.25″W

How to photograph the Otters, the Pier and the Seals

San Simeon Pier and Otters

Pier

The pier in Hearst Park is a good place to look for otters, seals, and dolphins. It is a very photogenic subject in its own right as you can see above and in the introduction section, so stopping is never a bad idea, even if you cannot spot any wildlife.

I love to play with shadows and shapes, which is how I got to the image in the introduction. The pier looks fantastic from many angles, this just happens to be my personal favorite. I prefer the composition from the left side, since the pier curves left. On the pier itself, I find it a good idea to change my position and vary things around a bit. Try lifting your camera over your head, holding it low or shifting your position around.

The real stars of our visit were the otters. We stood on the pier and witnessed this strange scene unfold between the otter and the seagull.

The food nab

1: Mr. Otter munching: “Yum, crab, my favorite!”
2: Ms. Seagull sneaking up on Mr. Otter, who is still distracted by his catch.
3: Ms. Seagull apologetically: “Ahem, Hello Mr. Otter, would you mind sharing your sumptuous meal with a hungry bird?”
4: A slightly annoyed Mr. Otter drops the catch into the water, and Ms. Seagull dives for it.
5: As she comes back up, she mumbles a “Mmmhhh, thanks!” with her mouth full. “Don’t mention it!” said Mr. Otter. “Now get out of here!”
6: Ms. Seagull ducks away, while Mr. Otter makes a roll and goes back to the seafloor for more

Fortunately, I kept the camera on this unlikely couple, while they had their little encounter. The whole scene repeated a few times until the seagull disappeared.

I used a 200mm telephoto lens and stood directly above the odd couple. I selected the center focus point on my camera and kept it on the otter. Although this meant I would have to crop the images, I did not need to move my focus points around or worse yet, have the camera focus on his tail instead of his head. I also selected the focus-tracking mode that continuously adjusts focus.

San Simeon Seals

Seal scratching itself

Photographing the seals is easier and more predictable, since they come in large numbers and are here year round.

The GPS section includes a link to the main viewing area. Just 0.3 miles north, you will find another viewing area. A trail, with good views, connects the two. A little over one mile south of the main parking lot, there is another pullout, with a third viewing area. Depending on the time of the year and the mood of the animals, either of these viewpoints can be best.

You should bring your longest telephoto lens or rent one before you come. Even a 300mm lens is just the bare minimum, a 500mm would be better to get closer to the action and to fill your frame.

Nose buddies

Filling the frame (overflowing the corners) with a large number of animals will leave the viewer puzzled about the real size of the herd. Our brain fills in the missing information with countless more animals, making these types of images more impressive. Filling the frame with a single animal shows its character.

Bull

Keep your distance. It is a crime to disturb these animals in any way and once you have seen how incredibly agile a 4000lb. bull chasing a competitor is, you most likely will stay away on your own.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Winter is the best time to see the seals and the otters. The pregnant female seals arrive in December and around January and February, you can see the pups. Usually you can find seals throughout the year on at least one of the two viewpoints.

The best time to photograph the seals is in the morning, since you will look west.

Time required

You should plan one hour for Hearst Park and one hour for the seal viewing.

Equipment

• Telephoto Lens
• Wide-angle lens
• Tripod

Fees

There are no fees for the seal viewing areas. During our last visit in November, there was no charge to enter Hearst Park.

Close Locations

• Hearst Castle
• Cambria and Cayucos
• Morro Bay
• Montana de Oro State Park
• Avila Beach
• San Luis Obispo Mission
• San Miguel Mission
• Shell Beach
• Pismo State Beach
• Limekiln State Park
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Useful Resources

• Elephant Seal Information
• California Road Conditions

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