Category Archives: South Coast

How to photograph Crystal Cove State Park

2011/02/09 – 04:27

Clinging to the cliffs between lavish Orange County residences and the Coastal Highway, Crystal Cove State Park is a pristine refuge for naturalists and a godsend to photographers. It offers a wide range of outdoor water sports activities, ranging from fishing to diving, surfing, and kite flying. Miles of backcountry trails and several campsites provide a sense of nature and open space that make it easy to forget the proximity to the yachts of Newport Beach and the villas of Laguna Beach.

The weather conditions that attract wealthy Orange County residents to this area make Crystal Cove State Park a year-round pleasant destination. Dramatic Southern California sunsets, rugged cliffs, tidepools, and an unspoiled mountainous backcountry wilderness area will give you a chance to deploy your full creativity on this beautiful landscape and to walk home with fond memories and a full memory (card).

Crystal Cove Sunset

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Coast, hike, Los Angeles, Orange County, Southern California, state park, Wildlife | Tagged , | Comments (5)

Crystal Pier, Pacific Beach

2011/02/02 – 05:47

Pacific Beach is a laid-back beach community within the northern city limits of San Diego. Its long beach and boardwalk are a perfect example of Southern California’s beach culture.

I am not a fan of beach photography. Beaches often lack an interesting foreground, are often overcrowded, and generally difficult to photograph. Fortunately, Pacific Beach has an intriguing pier, an active surfing community, and an abundance of characters that should provide you with plenty of things to photograph.

Pacific Beach, or PB, is a place to relax. You will find a diverse restaurant and nightlife scene, resorts, motels, and small B&Bs in close proximity. It is close to Mission Bay, Sea World, and many other San Diego attractions, making it perfect for taking a break and doing as the locals do. Enjoy your time out and take your photographs along the way.

Three Friends at Crystal Pier

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Coast, landmark, San Diego, Southern California | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

How to photograph La Jolla

2011/01/26 – 05:24

La Jolla is an upscale beach community within the city limits of San Diego. Although development has mostly tamed its rugged landscape, the charming and tasteful integration of man and nature somehow seems to work well in La Jolla. Officials have reserved some of the beaches for seals and others for people and they seem to stick to the arrangement; seals keep their distance and people stay behind fences and lines.

Tasteful Spanish style buildings nestle along the cliffs and manmade parks complement nature’s beautiful work. La Jolla is a pleasant community but it shares the fate of overcrowding with most other beautiful beach communities in Southern California. People pack into the small town like sardines into a can, making your job as a travel photographer challenging. At the same time, people often present interesting opportunities.

La Jolla

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Coast, landmark, park, San Diego, scenic drive, Southern California, Wildlife | Tagged , | Comments (3)

How to photograph Morro Bay

2011/01/19 – 05:41

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.

Morro Bay Marina

By myphotoscout | Also posted in Central Coast, Coast, landmark, Marine, San Luis Obispo, Southern California, state park, Wildlife | Tagged , | Comments (8)

Hearst Park Otters and San Simeon Seals

2011/01/12 – 06:19

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.
San Simeon Pier

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Central Coast, Coast, San Luis Obispo, Southern California, state park, Wildlife | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

Montana de Oro State Park

2011/01/05 – 04:20

Montana de Oro State Park is California’s largest coastal state park. Despite the 1 million visitors each year, you will be able to find solitude on the nearly 50 miles of trails. Diverse coastal landscapes, spectacular wildlife viewing, and outdoor sports activities make this park so popular.

Montana de Oro’s sweeping views of rugged coastal landscapes, dunes, and the chance to photograph wild animals make it very attractive for photographers. Unspoiled coastal landscapes are becoming increasingly harder to find, which makes the park such a treasure. The constant pressure from Sacramento’s budget threatens this jewel of the Central California Coast.

Sand Spit - Montana de Oro

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Central Coast, Coast, hike, San Luis Obispo, Southern California, state park, Wildlife | Tagged , | Comments (5)

How to photograph Avila Beach

2010/12/22 – 06:13

Avila Beach is a secluded, charming beach community, hidden from the traditional tourist routes but close enough for a short side trip, if you know where to look and if you find the only access road from the highway.

The town has the best beach in the area. It is located in a natural harbor sheltered by mountains from three sides. The beach is the main attraction for most visitors, but it has a lot to offer to us photographers as well. I learned that this is also a favorite location of a fellow photographer, Bob Towery, who has produced some of his most astonishing work here; a fact that made it infinitely more difficult for me to write about this heavenly small vacation town.

I am thus just going to give an account of my impressions and instead encourage you to come here and discover this place yourself.

Pelican Flight

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Central Coast, Coast, Marine, San Luis Obispo, Southern California | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

How to photograph the Getty Villa

2010/12/01 – 06:09

In California’s most exclusive, affluent, and narcissistic community lays a villa modeled after ancient Roman and Greek villas complete with lavish gardens, reflecting pools, and countless statues. This most exclusive retreat easily outshines other villas in this high priced neighborhood, yet it is a not a playground for the rich and famous, but for everyone with a desire for culture and beauty.

A testament to the greatest ancient empires that ever existed, the Getty Villa sits on a hill, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Countless guards protect the valuable collections from hordes of blaring schoolchildren who invade the property on a regular basis and shortly disrupt the silence and tranquility of this wonderful palace.

Getty Villa Reflecting Pool

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Coast, flowers, landmark, Los Angeles, Museum, scenic drive, Southern California, state park | Tagged , | Comments (1)

How to photograph Belmont Shore

2010/07/28 – 05:27

Belmont Shore offers the relaxed Southern California Beach atmosphere you expect when you visit this neck of the world. CSI Miami fans may feel a strange déjà vu here.

Fear not, you neither are in the Matrix nor have you teleported to Florida, you simply stumbled on the secret filming locations for the show. Looking through my sunset pictures, I realized David Caruso’s hair is not to blame for CSI Miami’s characteristic orange tint, but rather the Southern California sun.

You will find palm lined promenades, spectacular sunsets, and a photogenic pier. A perfect picture, if the trash, stray dogs, and dirt would not spoil it otherwise. You can avoid most of those imperfections in your pictures, but you can find better places to hang out for the day.
Belmont Shore

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Coast, Los Angeles, Skyline, Southern California | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

How to photograph the RMS Queen Mary

2010/07/14 – 05:45

Only the advent of affordable transatlantic flights put an end to the dominance of the great ocean liners. The Queen Mary, larger and more powerful than the Titanic, crossed the Atlantic Ocean 1,001 times. During one of these crossings during World War II, she carried American Troops establishing a record of the most people ever carried on a vessel that still stands today.

Impressive size, stateliness, and scenery still characterize this impressive ship, even after its conversion into a Long Beach hotel. You can tour the ship and discover the magic of the great ocean liners, of an area where the wealthy traveled in style.
Bow of the Queen Mary

By myphotoscout | Also posted in beach, Coast, landmark, Los Angeles, Marine, Museum, Skyline, Southern California | Tagged | Comments (5)
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