2009’s top list was very successful. Many of my readers appreciated the short summary and keeping with this tradition, I hereby present to you my favorite places of 2010. This year was very exciting. I introduced my new iPhone application, a travel companion that makes all my articles available for offline consumption. I have traveled to many new places, collecting photographs and ideas for new location guides, and much more. I have revisited many places and I have discovered new places as well.

Wrapping up another fantastic year of photography, gives me the chance to go back to some of my favorites again.

January

Kelso Dunes at sunset

January is a great time to visit the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert. Desert scenes look fantastic in winter, due to the clouds that add vivid color to the otherwise bleak landscape. The temperatures are also more bearable than in summer.

The gigantic Kelso Dunes are located in the Mojave Desert, one of the least visited parks in California. The dunes are so large, that you can find a remote place without footprints or any other obstruction. The Kelso Dunes are my favorite place for dune photography in California.

February

Japanese Drum Bridge in Huntington Library Garden

If you haven’t been to the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena, you missed one of the most amazing attractions in the Los Angeles area. Several themed gardens and fine exhibits will provide you with countless hours of entertainment and photo fun.

March

Entrance to the Japanese Tea Garden

If you ever wanted to visit the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, you should consider a visit in March. The cherry blossoms will add color to an already vibrantly colorful garden. You have a small window of opportunity, during which the tea garden will shine at its maximum glory.

April

Storm Clouds over Poppy Field

April is the time of the year when I drive long distances to take photographs of flowers. I resist Dani’s challenge to my manhood and decide to become a flower boy. The California Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley is one of the most spectacular places to see the state flower lighting up entire landscapes. Nature’s impressive display of color brings me here and it is worth it, every  time.

May

Death Valley Racetrack Black and White

I put off a visit to Death Valley’s Racetrack far too long. Park Rangers keep urban legends of a difficult road alive to keep people away, and travelers who “made it” perpetuate the story to bathe in heroism. It’s all rubbish! If you possess a healthy amount of common sense and natural fear, you will be fine. A visit to this remote area is a rewarding experience. The mysterious stones that slide across the desert floor, leave tracks on the dry lake bed that even puzzle scientists.

June

Plane Tails at Night - USS Midway

See the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier in the port of San Diego. Visiting this floating fortress is a humbling experience. It is hard to comprehend how any shipyard can build ships of this size.

My inner geek, which is fascinated by all things technical, is responsible for this nomination. If you like technical stuff, if you are inclined to pull out your camera at the sight of a shiny machine, the Midway will blow your mind.

July

Golden Gate from Fort Point

Fort Point is a civil war fort that is located underneath the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The mix of location and history make the fort one of my favorite places in San Francisco, where the temperature is mild, even in summer. At the height of the travel season, you will find more people here than usual, but the views from the fort make it easy to leave people out or include them in your photographs according to your preference.

August

Mono Lake Sunrise

Take a drive through Yosemite’s Tioga Pass to Mono Lake, famous for its Tufa formations. Tufa, limestone formations that form at mineral rich underwater springs, have become visible due to water drainage. With these strange formations exposed above water, photographers will find an alien looking landscape unique in the world.

September

Tule Elk Bull

September is the end of the mating season for the Tule Elk, a perfect time for a visit to the Tule Elk Reserve in Point Reyes National Seashore. During the short hike, you will experience the majestic elk in their natural habitat.

October

Mobius Arch backlit

In October, temperatures usually start to drop in the south-eastern parts of California, making a visit to the Alabama Hills a good idea, especially if you aren’t quite ready to let go of the summer yet.

The Alabama Hills have served as backdrop for many science fiction and western movies.  Today the Hills still captivate visitors with their beauty.

November

Engine Room Steering Wheel

A Southern California landmark is my destination of choice for November. The RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner from the golden age of transatlantic sea travel. It serves as a hotel and tourist attraction in Long Beach.

Discover how people of high society used to travel, visit the bridge and engine room, and go on a ghost tour through the hunted bowels of the ship. This ship is fun to visit and to photograph.

December

Seals

Avila Beach is the perfect destination year round. It is an off the beaten path, spectacularly beautiful beach destination along the Central Coast. The weather is pleasant most of the year but since beachgoers dot the sands of the cove in summer, I prefer winter.

With most of the tourists gone, the sea life reclaims the cove. There is less competition for restaurant seats and the tranquil relaxing atmosphere makes it a perfect getaway in December.

Come back soon to read about new destinations in 2011.

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Discover our favorite photo spots of 2009.

I started to build this website in January of 2009 with the purpose of documenting California’s incredible diversity of photographic jewels and to help you get the most out of your visit. It quickly became obvious to me, that I have enough material for years to come. California is one of the most diverse states in the Union.  In this post I want to share your favorite locations (most read) as well as my favorite locations. Hopefully, this will also help you new readers to find your way around.

The easiest way for navigation is through the table of contents or the maps. After just one year, the table of contents is already getting large. Try the maps to hone in on a certain location that interests you and to find out what you can see there. To see what you missed or to recap last year, here are some of our favorites:

Our favorite places

January

Many of us loathe the winter months, since they are allegedly grey. Add a touch of color by visiting the Monarch Grove Sanctuary. Countless monarch butterflies hibernate in this spot, making it one of the most fascinating and most interesting sights this time of the year (my log files agree).

February

During the last two months of February, you can visit another natural phenomenon only found in California, a natural “firefall.” The unique lighting conditions and water from the snow melt create the Yosemite Firefall.

March

The famous San Francisco fog can make excellent photographs, but if you are chasing grand vistas, it can get in your way. Amazingly, the fog is worse during the summer months, as cold air and hot air mix. March would thus be a good time for a visit to San Francisco, while avoiding the crowds and the fog. The Marin Headlands are my favorite place for San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate photography. Almost nobody knows of this place: Little Known Views of Marine Headlands.

April

During late March and early April the desert comes to live. Wildflowers bloom in a landscape that seems devoid of any life during most parts of the year. Adding dots of color to an already colorful landscape, you cannot go wrong with a trip to the deserts in early April. Timing is everything: Wildflowers in Death Valley

May

May is a good time to go waterfallin’. The snow melt fills the falls, the vegetation has recovered from the winter and I usually cannot wait to get out into nature for some serious hiking. A nice trip to take is the Whiskeytown Falls hike.

June

The snowmelt is still going on in the higher elevations, while the sun already scorches Central Valley and Southern California. It is time to escape the heat into the Sierra Nevada, California’s rooftop, for some high altitude chills. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is located above 10,000 feet and offers a comfortable chill besides being a unique alien place and my absolute favorite location.

July

By now most of the grass will have turned brown except for the mountains and the coast. Temperatures near the coast always stay comfortable year round, which is the second reason you should visit Salt Point State Park. The first reason is the superb photographic value the alien looking tafoni formations offer you.

August

Keeping with the chilling theme, you should consider San Francisco again. The city by the bay keeps a comfortable temperature in summer and holds the most photographic value of all cities in California. Cool off at the Ferry Building Farmers Market, get a cold drink and hone your street shooting skills all at the same time.

September

The summer comes to an end, which is a good time to visit the Northern Sierra Nevada. Have you ever considered tracking down some old mining camps? One of the most photogenic is Chemung Mine. The old mill and weathered buildings offer countless options for your creativity.

October

Late September and early October are best for fall foliage peeping. Last October I took the chance and hiked up McGee Canyon. The amount of color and the scenic value of this canyon, which is often just a side note to Bishop Creek canyon in most books, took me by surprise.

November

I usually try to avoid the summer heat in Los Angeles. The concrete desert burns hot during the summer months, but it becomes a pleasant retreat from the rainier north during the winter. Website visitors like to read about the Viewpoint on Mulholland Drive. This pleasant drive is removed from the bustling city and offers great views. A good choice if the giant city makes you feel slightly uncomfortable.

December

How about a Christmas light walking tour of San Francisco? See and photograph the skillful decorations as San Francisco puts on a shine for Christmas.

See you again

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Galen Rowell popularized this natural phenomenon with his stunning unmatched photography. When the weather conditions are right, during the last weeks of February, it is possible to experience the Firefall.

When I found out about the Firefall, I had to photograph it. On my first mission, the weather conditions were not right and I had to leave without a single shot. Eventually I persevered. I came back several times to catch what I can only describe as an almost supernatural phenomenon.

When you get to the location, you will probably start wondering where to look for Horsetail Fall. When I arrived, there was barely any water running down the Face of El Capitan. The waterfall was invisible from my position. I set up the tripod anyways and waited patiently among a very small group of photographers. Just a few years ago, far fewer people knew about firefall, creating no crowding problem.

Shortly after sunset, the lower end of the fall started lighting up in a spectacle unmatched by anything man can create.  The glow crept up the face of the mountain like a golden snake until the entire waterfall was glowing golden.

As the sun dove further below the horizon, the color of the waterfall shifted towards a deeper red until it was glowing like an ethereal flow of blood.

Then the base of the waterfall started losing color until everything was over as quickly as it started. Within only a few minutes, the glow stopped and a deep long sigh rippled through the people fortunate enough to be present at the time.

How to get there

There is a small picnic area (GPS below) about 1.7miles from Yosemite Village. From here, walk about 200m east to a small clearing. You cannot miss the spot. If you arrive at the correct time of the year, a group of photographers always eagerly awaits the sunset at this location. Pick a spot with a good view of the face of El Capitan. Try to position yourself further to the left of the group.

How to photograph Yosemite Firefall

You need a long lens (200mm – 300mm for 35mm Cameras) to create a tightly cropped picture. The glowing part of the waterfall is close to the top edge of El Capitan above the ledge (nose) visible in my picture to the top. The picture above is probably in the 250mm range. A zoom lens will give you some flexibility to try out different compositions, although your creativity is somewhat limited as there are no useful foreground elements.

The phenomenon lasts only a short time. To ensure the best possible picture, keep shooting from the first glow to the last glow and pick the best shot at home.

Try a few different compositions (zoom telephoto) and frame the shot tighter and less tight. See what you like best.

If you have a small camera, take some photographs of the crowd, but wait until everything is over.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The best time to photograph Yosemite’s Firefall is during the last weeks of February. Then the falls carry enough water and the sun still sets at the right angle to reflect its light. During warmer years, you can get good results earlier if there is enough water on the falls.

Arrive one hour before sunset to ensure a good spot. Look up El Capitan and be patient. The waterfall is not visible immediately as it is rather small from your vantage point.

If there is little chance of sunrays hitting the waterfall on overcast days, I suggest finding another, more rewarding, spot for your sunset photography and coming back to Firefall some other day.

Time required

Since this is a premier sunset location in Yosemite, you need to come early to get a good spot. Firefall is a photographer’s favorite.

If you require this photograph, you need to account for several days to ensure that you get the right weather at the right time of the year. If you stay the better part of a week, you will have a very good chance of being able to photograph this.

Equipment

• 200mm to 300mm lens to isolate the waterfall
• tripod
• cable release
• something to munch on, as the next food service is in El Portal at this time of the day

GPS position

The picnic area turn off from Yosemite Valley North Side road is at:

• 37°43’37.75″N 119°37’16.60″W

Fees

Yosemite Entrance Fee is $20. Buy a National Park Pass if you plan to visit other National Parks this year or if you want to come back. It grants access to all National Parks, National Monuments and National Recreational Areas for a full year.

Close Locations

• Valley View and Tunnel View
• Yosemite Falls
• Mirror Lake
• Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall Trail
• Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, Taft Point
• Mariposa Grove
• Wildlife photography in Yosemite
• Fall in Yosemite Valley
• Hetch Hetchy

Useful Resources

• Yosemite Travel Article
• Galen Rowell’s Website
• Yosemite National Park Official Page

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Monarch Butterflies

Between November to May you can witness a spectacle of life in Pacific Grove. Countless Monarch Butterflies inhabit the trees of Monarch Grove Sanctuary and nearby George Washington Park after migrating here from as far north as Alaska. It takes these fragile beings several generations to return to Alaska, but just one (longer living) generation to return and restart the cycle of life here.

How to get there

Here is a Google Street View of the (somewhat hidden entrance):

Entrance to Monarch Grove

You need to walk down the line between these two fences to get there. It seems to be a city owned property between private residences. You can find parking right outside (turn the view around 180 degrees).

The address is 206 Ridge Rd, Pacific Grove, CA

How to photograph Monarch Grove Sanctuary

Since the butterflies cluster together high up in the trees they are hard to see. The underside of the wings looks like brown leaves in the distance. Pick up a binocular and stake out your subjects. Since you are shooting upwards, you get distracting bright backgrounds. Look for a group of butterflies has sunlight on it to lessen the contrast between the background and the dark mass of Monarch butterflies.

The best shot would be a sunlit knot of butterflies against the darker tree background, as our mind tends to move bright subjects into the foreground.

Long lenses and relatively long exposure times (low ISO, small aperture) necessitate a tripod.

Focus on the butterflies closest to you. Our mind does not accept out of focus subjects close to the lens but easier accepts out of focus subjects further back.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The Monarchs are here from November to March. If the temperature drops below 55 F (about 13 C), the Monarchs go into a state of hibernation with their wings folded together, revealing only the grey under side. When it gets warmer, they spread their wings and start to flap. Try to arrange your visit around midday to see them flapping.

Time required

It takes about 30 minutes to visit the small area. Even with extensive photography one hour to 90 minutes will be sufficient.

Equipment

• Telphoto Lens
• Tripod
• binoculars

GPS position

• 36°37’34.41″N 121°55’49.51″W

Difficulty Photographing

Big droves of Monarchs hang 20 to 30 feet high in the trees. Even with a long telephoto lens, it is not easy to create compelling compositions. Try isolating interesting looking clusters exposed to sunlight.

Close Locations

• Pacific Grove
• Point Pinos Lighthouse
• 17-mile drive
• Monterey Fishermans Wharf
• Carmel
• Point Lobos State Reserve
• Moss Landing Sea Otters

Useful Resources

• Monarch Grove Sanctuary Website

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