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

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

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).

How to get there

Crystal Cove State Park is located along Pacific Coast Highway, south of Newport Beach and north of Laguna Beach. It is impossible to miss.

GPS position

• 33°34’41.37″N 117°50’29.20″W

How to photograph Crystal Cove State Park

seagull

You need good light to create superior pictures of coastal landscapes. Throughout most of the day, poor light creates a flat, washed out landscape. A circular polarizing filter helps the situation a little, bringing some color to your shots, but it cannot substitute for good light. Avoid the CP filter with very short focal lengths, since they can cause unsightly gradients in the sky, especially when you boost contrast.

Trail

Use the day to enjoy yourself, scout good places and take some location snaps that help you identify good locations for the late afternoon. Photograph surfers, kites or children playing in the sand during the day, or go on a backcountry-hiking trip and leave the landscape shots for later.

historic cottage

Scouting is an important part to any successful shoot, but at Crystal Cove State Park, you just need to look around the Historic District for your sunset location. The warm light augments the charm of the 1920’s and 1930’s beach cottages that were built before the usual development restrictions.

The State Park restored 22 of the 46 cottages for public use and will restore the remaining cottages in the near future. The yet-to-be-restored cottages at the north end are the most photogenic. With their crooked fences and rugged charm, they challenge the lavish Orange County esthetic with simple bungalow charisma.

Crystal Cove State Park is home to several spectacular tidepools. You need to consult a tidepool chart for low tides and pick a day where the tide is low during the early morning hours. Otherwise, countless park visitors will scare or carry away any trace of amphibian life. Use a circular polarizing filter to cut the glare from the water and put your camera on the tripod to deal with the low light and the additional losses that your filter causes. I further recommend a cable release.

I used the tidepool as a foreground reflecting pool in the picture in the introduction, thus incorporating it into a larger landscape.

sunset

Crystal Cove is a romantic getaway location for stressed LA lovebirds. It is easy to let the fantastic photo choices sweep you away, but remember to enjoy the landscape and the people who travel with you. Soak up the tranquility that lingers here from a quieter era.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

You can spend an entire day at Crystal Cove. If you cannot afford this much time, I recommend the afternoon, including sunset. Make sure you park at the Los Trancos Entrance parking lot, across the Pacific Coast Highway from the Historic District. The parking areas inside the park close at sunset and the fines for violation are very steep.

This part of California enjoys the best climate year round. I personally prefer the off-season winter months for the cheaper prices, fewer crowds, and dramatic weather conditions. Spring is the best time to visit the park, since the wildflowers will add additional color to your photos.

Time required

I recommend visiting at least half a day. Prioritize if you cannot afford this much time. See the Historic District and the easy access to the Bluffs near Pelican Point.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Telephoto Lens
• Cleaning kit
• Layered clothing
• Water and snacks

Fees

The park charges a steep $15 parking fee. Share a ride with someone, park outside and take a bike or consider going all out and getting the State Park Pass for $125, which will give you access to many other California State Parks.

You need a permit and insurance if you work here with clients (Wedding and Portrait Photography).

Close Locations

• Laguna Beach
• Newport Beach
• Huntington Beach
• Crystal Cathedral
• Dana Point
• San Juan Capistrano Mission
• Belmont Shore
• Queen Mary
• Shoreline Village, Long Beach

Useful Resources

• State Park Website
• Cottage Reservations
• Crystal Cove Info

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

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.

How to get there

La Jolla is located north of San Diego’s Mission Bay. A scenic drive on Mission Boulevard and La Jolla Boulevard will take you to the La Jolla beaches. I have outlined three major points of interest in the GPS section. Additionally, you might enjoy Ellen Browning Scripps Park, La Jolla Cove, and the Sunny Jim Cave just north of the Sea Wall. I recommend you park your car somewhere nearby and walk the distance. There is a lot to see along the way. Use the GPS coordinates to plot your course or enter them in your GPS device directly.

GPS position

Mt Soledad:

• 32°50’23.45″N 117°14’40.56″W

Sea Wall (Seals):

• 32°50’51.71″N 117°16’43.58″W

Paragliders and Dolphins:

• 32°53’21.04″N 117°15’6.04″W

How to photograph La Jolla

Tide pools

Tide Pools

Tide pools, located about 0.4 miles south of the Sea Wall, magically attract people hoping to catch a glimpse of a sea star or a crab. If you arrive at low tide, just after sunrise, you have a better chance of seeing those. However, there are better tide pools elsewhere. Stay off the slick rock. I saw four people trip and fall in less than 15 minutes. The algae that grow on the stones make them very slippery.

You usually need a CP filter and a tripod to create good images of anything below the water’s surface. Again, the people that crawl over these rocks will make this hard to execute. I prefer to casually join the fun and just show how other people enjoy the tide pools. You need to be fast with your camera and develop a feeling for how scenes will unfold, but it only takes a few minutes of practice to get into it.

Seals and Beaches

Seal Pup

The beaches, coves, and parks lend themselves superbly to landscape photographers. The image in the introduction is an example of the type of scenes you can expect. Using a circular polarizing filter helps you to cut down on the glare of the water and enhance the green of the grass.

The Sea Wall protects a crescent shaped beach on which seals love to hang out and show their offspring to the neighbors. I can stand for hours on end on this wall, watching the facetious and sometimes ferocious animals interact. Seeing the pups play in the surf is a special treat that you can enjoy in late December and January.

Keep heading north and you will come across Ellen Browning Scripps Park, located on the steep spectacular cliffs. Just a little further is La Jolla Cove, a small natural cove where you can see seals, divers, and colorful kayaks adding interesting focal points to an already photogenic landscape.

Gliders and Dolphins

Dolphins

Another spectacular area is just north of the San Diego University at Gliders Park, towering on the steep cliffs above Black Beach. Here you can watch paragliders jump off the edge of the cliff and soar high above the beach on the thermal winds. This is fun to see and to photograph. If you are lucky, you may even see dolphins surfing the waves below.

Mount Soledad

Veterans Memorial Wall

Mount Soledad is the highest mountain in La Jolla, offering 360-degree views of San Diego County. Should you be so lucky to come here on a clear day, you can even see Mexico. During my visits, I never had that much luck; the haze even made my images of Mission Bay look murky.

Atop the mountain stands the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial, honoring the veterans of two World Wars and the Korean War. A 43ft tall cross crowns the memorial.

Bring your tripod, especially if you plan to photograph the sunset. The long focal length that is required for many shots and the low light make it necessary.

Couple on Mt. Soledad

If you include people in your photographs, you have to increase ISO sensitivity, especially for photos that you take after sunset, like the one above. People move and keeping the exposure times too long will make them appear blurry. This image was also difficult, because I needed a narrow aperture in order to keep the background sharp and the people “sharp enough”. I used a long focal length to make the temple appear larger, but this makes it nearly impossible to achieve the depth of field required. I therefore focused on the background, to keep it sharp. The people are larger and thus easier recognizable. Since some elements of the image are sharp, our mind sees this entire image as sharp.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Spring is usually a good time for any coastal landscape. Wildflowers light up the cliffs and deeply saturated greens color the surrounding hills. If you want to see seals and dolphins, you should come between December and February.

Time required

One afternoon to sunset in La Jolla is sufficient. You can spend an entire day and see the university and caves as well.

Equipment

• Telephoto lens (Seals and Dolphins)
• Zoom lens
• CP filter
• Tripod and cable release for sunset shots
• GPS
• Binoculars

Fees

Almost all of the locations in this article are free to visit, with the exception of the Sunny Jim Cave: admission for adults is $4, 16 years and under $3.

Close Locations

• Mormon Temple
• Carlsbad
• Torrey Pines State Reserve
• San Luis Rey Mission
• San Diego Wild Animal Park (Escondido)
• San Diego Sea World
• Crystal Pier
• Mission Bay
• Pt. Loma
• Legoland California

Useful Resources

• La Jolla Website
• Mt. Soledad Memorial

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

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

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

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

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

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.

Montana de Oro State Park is the perfect place to plan your weekend getaway from the hectic lives we lead today. You will find a sanctuary of pristine nature that will calm you and rejuvenate your spirit.

How to get there

Montana de Oro State Park lies south of Morro Bay, near the city of Los Osos.

Heading south on CA-1, take exit 277 toward Los Osos. Follow S. Bay Boulevard for about 4 miles, then turn right on Los Osos Valley Road. Follow this road (it turns into Pecho Valley Road) into the park.

Heading north on CA-1, take exit 200A to Los Osos Valley Road. Follow it for about 11 miles until it turns into Pecho Valley Road, which leads directly into the park.

Follow the park road to the end to get to Point Buchon Trail. Start here, since this trail closes first.

GPS position

• 35°18’0.64″N 120°51’46.21″W

How to photograph Montana de Oro SP

Morro Rock View

As you drive into the park, you will come over a small hill. On top of it is a pullout that has a superb view of the sand spit, Morro Rock, and Morro Bay. I took the image above from this pullout, just after sunset. The soft light works well with this type of image, giving it a dreamy look.

The foreground, sand spit, and the hills in the background form a Z, with Morro Rock sitting in the corner of the Z. The Z will draw the viewer toward Morro Rock from the bottom and from the left sides of the image. This creates interest and involves viewers in the image.

Spooner's Cove

I used a similar technique in this image of Spooner’s Cove, where all imaginary lines converge in the distance at the open ocean. This creates an escape spot for the viewer to flee into the image. The water mirrors the clouds and the rocks mirror each other while avoiding symmetry. This adds a dynamic focal point to the image.

Spooner’s Cove is the most popular beach in the park, which means it will be busy. This makes it hard but not impossible to take good photographs here. Instead of photographing the entire beach, I concentrated on smaller areas to keep the sense of solitude that I created with most other images.

Above the cove stands the old Spooner House. It serves as a museum and visitor center.

Point Buchon

I highly recommend the Point Buchon Trail that starts at the end of the road. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company tightly controls access to the trail, which means you need to leave this area long before sunset. Starting your exploration here is thus a good idea. The trail features excellent wildlife viewing chances (images below), protected beaches and grassland (image above), and after many miles a glimpse of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

White Egret

Mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats are the hunters you may be able to observe at Montana de Oro. Bring your longest lens and a bag of patience to have a chance of spotting these elusive mammals.

Photographing birds, seals, and whales is more predictable and easier. I observed this white egret hunting for small critters. He stalked through the brush, suddenly froze while wobbling his tail, and then thrust his head into the deep grass. The egret had just snatched an unlucky lizard.

The white bird easily fools your camera’s exposure meter when you set it to evaluative metering. The background area is significantly larger and darker, causing the bird to become overexposed and washed out. Use spot metering and/or adjust your exposure accordingly. I realized this too late and when I had adjusted my settings, a weird person decided that it was time to shoo off my bird.

Whale blowing

During the winter months, you can also spot migrating grey whales from the shores of Montana de Oro. We sat down on the bench at Point Buchon from where we spotted a whale blowing in the distance. The whales are usually too far to photograph, unless you bring a very long lens. My 200mm did not reach far enough (see above).

Sand Spit Beach - Montana de Oro

My favorite area for sunsets is the sand spit beach that you can reach from a turnoff from the main road. This is where I took the image in the introduction and the image above. The image in the intro is an HDR photograph. I stacked three images in order to deal with the large dynamic range of photographing directly into the setting sun.

If you did not bring a tripod, avoid having the sun in your photographs. You can still take advantage of the soft, warm light as it hits everything else (image above).

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Point Buchon Trail only opens during the day. You have to sign in and the rangers strictly enforce the time. You have to leave well before the last light of the day, making this stretch off-limits for your sunset photography. However, the park has some good sunset viewing spots elsewhere, making this a good place for sunset and/or sunrise photography.

Currently, Point Buchon Trail is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The winter months between December and March are best to spot whales, whereas spring will bring flower carpets that will enhance your landscape images.

Time required

You need the better part of a day to explore the entire park. Two hours is barely enough for a quick drive with some scenic stops.

Equipment

• Telephoto Lens (Animals)
• Wide-angle lens (landscape)
• Tripod and Cable release (sunset)
• Binoculars

Fees

Currently there is no day use fee for the park.

Close Locations

• Avila Beach
• Morro Bay
• Shell Beach
• Pismo Beach
• Guadalupe Dunes Park
• Point Sal State Park
• Hearst Castle
• Otters and Seals of San Simeon
• Santa Maria
• San Luis Obispo Mission
• Cambria and Cayucos
• La Purisima Mission
• Wildflowers

Useful Resources

• Official website

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

The majestic Tule Elk, a subspecies of elk native to California, living at Point Reyes now number over 400 animals, making it the largest herd in California. After becoming nearly extinct just a few decades ago, this is one of the biggest success stories of conservation.

You have a very good chance of spotting these magnificent creatures, while hiking along the windswept Tomales Point Trail, north of historic Pierce Point Ranch, a former buttery dairy. The elk are friendly and used to hikers, making them easy subjects. The Tule Elk Reserve is thus one of the best wildlife photography spots in California.

The white mossy buildings of Pierce Point Ranch serve as an interpretive site to the public and a superb subject to photographers. The depressing atmosphere of the nearly constant fog combined with the old, beaten buildings that braved the harsh winds for decades creates a superb mood, easily captured on your photographs.

In recent years, Point Reyes has become one of my favorite destinations. The hikes are spectacular and despite its close proximity to bustling San Francisco, it remains a sanctuary of calmness. It is the perfect contrast to the hectic Bay Area.

How to get there

The Tule Elk Reserve is located at the northernmost point of Point Reyes, a windswept peninsula between Tomales Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

In order to get here, take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard toward Point Reyes National Seashore. Follow the road through the small town of Inverness. Take the Pierce Point Road to the right, about two miles after the town. The Pierce Point Ranch parking lot is 9 miles away, just before the road turns left toward McClures Beach.

GPS position

• 38°11’20.57″N 122°57’14.61″W

How to photograph Tule Elk Reserve and Pierce Point Ranch

The Elk

Tule Elk: Young Bull

We started our trail without any expectations. What could be the chances to spot wild elk anyways?

We were wrong!

About 20 minutes into our hike, a large herd of elk appeared from the mist like mythical creatures. Noticing us but not minding us, the cows quietly grazed while the young bull was satisfied that we would accept his authority.

I used my telephoto lens and set my shutter and aperture manually and my ISO sensitivity to auto. This way I could control the camera shake and depth of field, while the camera would automatically adjust the sensitivity in order to compensate for the dense fog, blocking the sun. If you are not as familiar with your camera yet, I recommend to use shutter priority mode (Tv, T) instead, to control the exposure time, which is your most important variable.

Resting Elk

Make sure your main subject is in focus! You could select a single focus point and keep it on the elk or at least pay attention which focus points blink in your viewfinder.

I was elated as we finally broke away from our herd and got surprised a second time when we found yet another herd just 10 minutes away. I took the bull photograph from the intro here. It did not take long until the herd disappeared into the mist that grew denser every minute.

On our way home, we discovered a third herd grazing by the road that was not here before. The experience will stay engrained in our memories for a long time. If you get the chance, you should take this hike and see the Tule Elk of Point Reyes.

The Ranch

Pierce Point Ranch: Path and House

You will start and end your walk at the Pierce Point Ranch parking lot. Do not miss the opportunity to explore the lonely buildings. Many times, you will have the place almost to yourself, as most people bypass the ranch to start the Tomales Point Trail.

In the picture above, I used the path and the open gate to lead the viewer toward the house in the distance. The fog gives this picture a three dimensional quality and the open gate invites us to step through it and explore the ranch. Using the open barn doors to frame the buildings behind it achieves a similar effect, but without the clear direction of the footpath.

Pierce Point Ranch

I took the next picture from the Tomales Point Trail. Walking away from the ranch, and using a telephoto lens, I was able to compress the distance between the buildings. This makes the buildings appear to hunker down and cling together. The cold, slightly bluish tone of the fog further enhances the feeling of coldness.

On clear days, you could use a circular polarizing filter to enhance the contrast between the deep blue sky and the white and green buildings. Go with the weather and decide your compositions based on the light. Framing pictures through doors will be more difficult if the contrast is too great.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The elk rut season is between July and September. During this time, you can see bulls sparring and hear them bugling. Volunteers will wait at the trailhead with important information, helping you to make the most of your visit. You can see elk throughout the year. I took the photographs on this page during a recent visit in October.

The fog usually moves in later throughout the day, making a morning visit a good idea. I have had fog during most of my visits though.

Time required

The trail length between the trailhead and Tomales Point is about 4.7 miles or 9.4 miles round trip. Most likely, you will not have to hike the entire distance to see elk. Sometimes you can even see them along the road to Pierce Point Ranch. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict where you will encounter the herds. It may take only one hour or several hours to see the elk.

Equipment

• Zoom Lens
• Telephoto Lens
• Circular Polarizing Filter
• Dress in layers (sweater + wind jacket)
• Snacks

Fees

No fee is required for Point Reyes.

Close Locations

• Pt. Reyes Lighthouse and Chimney Rock
• Pt. Reyes Coastal Trail
• Inverness and Earthquake Trail
• Fort Ross
• Bodega Bay and Bodega Head
• Bodega Dunes
• Bodega Cliffs
• Mt Tamalpais
• Muir Woods
• Point Bonita Lighthouse
• Secret Views of Marin Headlands
• Marin Headlands Bay Views

Useful Resources

• Point Reyes National Seashore Website

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

The San Diego Wild Animal Park recently changed its name to San Diego Zoo Safari Park, since it “reflects the experience the Park has to offer” in a better way. In my opinion, neither of these glorious titles accurately describes the park.

The Safari Park is actually a breeding enclosure for the Zoo that double charges you for your experience. After paying a steep entrance fee into the park, you need to dig even further into the vacation fund to pay the inflated prices for the Photo Safari, the only way to get close to some of the bigger animals in the park.

Fortunately, the funds go directly to animal care and if you can afford it, you will be rewarded with an experience you cannot find anywhere else in California. You can meet animals on their turf, away from cage bars and concrete floors. This means you can take natural looking photographs that are less distinguishable from those of a real big game safari.

As long as you come with the right expectations you are guaranteed to have a good time.

How to get there

The Safari Park is located about 40 miles north to northeast of San Diego, near the city of Escondido. From San Diego, take I-15 north. Then take exit 27 toward the “San Diego Wild Animal Park”. I am not sure how current the road signs are and if they have been updated to Safari Park already. Turn right to Bear Valley Pkwy S. Turn right again after 0.6 miles on San Pasqual Road. After 2.4 miles San Pasqual Road becomes Via Rancho Parkway. Turn right after another mile onto San Pasqual Valley Road. The park will be on your left after 0.8 miles.

From the north take I-5 south to CA-78 E or I-15 south to CA-78 E. Just keep on CA-78 (San Pasqual Valley Road), which will lead past the park.

GPS position

• 33° 5’58.80″N 117° 0’5.56″W

How to photograph the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Feeding a giraffe

After paying a whopping $127 per person to go on the photo safari, I expected an adventure packed, two hour trip through the Giraffe and Rhino enclosures. Unfortunately, I misinterpreted photo safari as an opportunity to photograph animals in the wild, similar to a real African Safari. In the context of the Safari Park, it refers to an opportunity to take your mug shot next to that of a giraffe while feeding it some tasty greens. The car stops at predetermined points and the trained animals willingly approach for their treats.

This is a superb opportunity to take a few memorable pictures of your children and post them in your cubicle at work, but I found it extremely difficult to capture animals in their natural surroundings. The truck driver speeds past the interesting groups of animals that behave naturally to the group waiting for treats.

long neck of a giraffe

Put your long lens on and take a couple of test exposures before the trip.  Make sure you have the metering correct, use a fast exposure for the drive-by-shooting action and bump the ISO sensitivity if you have to. Make yourself familiar with the different focus tracking methods your camera offers and practice getting sharp exposures of cars on the road at home. It would be sad to spend this much money and miss the best shots.

A zoom lens is your best choice, since you can photograph animals in the distance and still take good photographs while they approach (giraffe above and antelopes below). Even though I can change my lenses quickly, I still struggled to keep up with the constantly changing subjects that present themselves in the speeding truck. If you don’t have a zoom lens with large range, your best option is the telephoto lens when the truck drives and changing lenses while it stops.

Antelopes next to giraffe's legs

After leaving the Giraffe enclosure, we headed into the Rhinoceros enclosure. I hoped the petting zoo entertainment would be over and we could go on a “real” safari during the second half. Instead we repeated the previous performance, replacing treats and animals, turning the fearless wild beasts into domesticated pets that perform tricks for treats.

the standoff

If you capture a moving animal, make sure it never moves out off your frame. Leave some space between the frame border and the animal in the direction it is heading or the viewer will start to wonder about what lies outside of your frame. Although I took a few images of entire giraffes, I find that partial images like the long neck above or the legs dwarfing the antelopes above, exaggerate the size of these magnificent animals even more. The animals often group together, making it hard to isolate a single animal. On the other hand there aren’t enough to compose a herd, so you will have to make the best of the situation and just snap whatever you can and sort through the chaos later.

The rhinos in the image above drew my attention. After I took a picture or two of their behind, I noticed the Antelopes approaching. I zoomed out immediately and got this comical shot of what appeared to be an unevenly matched standoff over some leafs.

Rhino feeding

The park includes several other attractions that are open to everyone, even if you choose not to go on the safari.

The tigers are elusive and very hard to capture. We discovered two in the distance, but they were partially hidden and very far away. The African Lions have a much smaller area to hide in and are thus easier targets for photographers (see introduction image).

The hike along condor ridge is pleasant, offering you a glimpse at the Desert Big Horn Sheep, those mysterious animals roaming nearby Anazo Borrego State Park freely. The condors themselves are encaged and thus do not present a worthy sight for hungry memory cards or films.

Elephant

Due to the nature of the range, it was very difficult to photograph an elephant without barbed wire fence or any other obstruction. Move around and walk the enclosure end to end to find a good angle that hides the nasty fences.

The Safari Park is an exceptional experience in need for some logical improvements. Offering a wild safari option next to the petting zoo type safari would satisfy serious photographers, while some of the enclosures could benefit from visual improvements, helping them to blend into the surrounding landscape. Despite these simple flaws, the park is the closest you can come to experiencing a real African safari in California.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The park is open between 9 am to 5 pm, sometimes until 6 pm. It opens every day, including holidays. Summer can be very hot and sometimes it rains in winter, but there is no good or bad season for a visit.

Time required

You should plan your day around a visit to the park, due to its remote location, the price and the size of the park.

Equipment

• Telephoto lens
• Zoom lens
• Monopod
• Fast camera
• Water (we spent a fortune on drinks on a hot day)

Fees

The entrance fee to the park is $37 for adults and $27 for Children up to 11 years old. The most popular photo safari costs an additional $90 per person. The parking fee is $9.

Close Locations

• Torrey Pines State Reserve
• Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
• Oceanside Pier and Marina
• Anza Borrego Desert
• Quail Botanical Gardens (Encinitas)
• Carlsbad Flower Fields
• La Jolla
• San Diego Mission Bay
• San Diego Zoo
• USS Midway Aircraft Carrier
• San Juan Capistrano Mission

Useful Resources

• Official Park Website
• Special Experiences (safari and others)

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

Tweet This! :: E-Mail This!
Do you find this post de.licio.us? Tell people that you reddit!

Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA

The Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz compresses numerous coastal attractions into a small, protected area. Here you can visit one of California’s Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries, watch migrating whales, spot a sea otter, discover amphibian life in the tide pools, view wildflowers or just take in the spectacular cliffs of the California coastline.

Natural Bridges State Beach is easy to photograph and a pleasure to explore. The visitor center offers a free map and valuable information about the park. The beach is easily accessible and the coastal climate is pleasant, even on hot days. The park is also a Mecca for beach lovers. It bustles with beachgoers and BBQ parties on warm days. Bring your bathing suit if you are up for a little refreshment.

How to get there

Natural Bridges SB is located in Santa Cruz, close to scenic Highway 1. Turn south onto Western Drive at the intersection of Coat Road (Highway 101) and Western Drive. Then immediately turn right and then left onto Natural Bridges Drive. Follow the road until you see the closed gate of Natural Bridges State Beach. Turn left on Delaware Avenue and right again on Swanton Boulevard. The entrance into the park will be on your right at the end of the road.

GPS position

• N36 56.992 W122 3.470

How to photograph Santa Cruz Natural Bridges State Beach

Butterflies

The park is home to about 100,000 monarch butterflies each winter. The butterflies start to arrive in late October and stay until February. Walk along the planks of the Monarch Boardwalk for a view of the amazing clusters of butterflies living in the eucalyptus grove above.

You need a long lens to photograph the butterflies. The photograph above has some distracting blue highlights that were difficult to eliminate. If you can, look for flocks of butterflies with a dark background.

The light below the treetop is not ideal. You may need a tripod or an image stabilized camera / lens. Do not expose longer than 1/125s. The flapping of the butterflies’ wings will otherwise create motion-blur.

During the spring, I highly recommend the Moore Creek Trail and Monarch Trail, which lead through the forest, marsh, and a meadow. The trails are popular with bird watchers for their exceptional variety of birds you can spot here. The resource section below contains a link with more information on the subject.

Natural Bridges SB, Beach and Arch

Two of the three natural bridges responsible for the parks name have collapsed. The only bridge left forms a natural arch near the shore. The arch is a nice backdrop for a tranquil beach scene. The difficulty will be to frame a shot that does not include hundreds of people. Owing to its beauty and sheltered location, the beach is one of the most crowded beaches of the Monterey Bay. After a few moments of waiting, I got lucky and the scene cleared. It got even better when a surfer waded through my picture. When you drive along West Cliff Drive, you will notice that Santa Cruz is world famous for its exceptional surf. On a good day, hundreds of people ride the waves off shore.

Egret fishing in the tide pools

Photographing tide pools is challenging, especially in this environment where children chase after birds and crabs, dragging the poor creatures out of their wet pools. I have seen some crabs, but the shy creatures were very aware of things above the surface and hid behind Sea Anemones.

It takes patience to photograph the crabs. Bring a tripod and use a cable remote or even wireless remote. Step back and sit down waiting for the crab to come out from its hiding place.

Photographing anything below the surface requires a circular polarizing filter. This will eliminate the glare from the picture, but it will also reduce the amount of available light. Photographing close-ups requires a small aperture too, reducing the available light even more. This means you need to adjust your ISO speed accordingly, even when you use a tripod. The wind and the water produce movement that would cause blur otherwise.

A few white egrets showed up, hunting little fish in the tide pools. I got good results using a long lens and underexposing the shots by about one stop, to preserve detail in the feathers of the birds.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

If you want to see the butterflies, you need to come during the winter months. Spring offers warmer temperatures, wildflowers, and lower tides more suitable for tide pool photography. Come early if you want to avoid the crowds.

Time required

The small park is very diverse. Despite its size, you can easily spend an entire afternoon photographing the park.

Equipment

• Macro Lens
• Normal Lens
• Telephoto Lens
• Tripod and Cable release
• CP Filter
• Binoculars

Fees

The “parking fee” in the park is $10, which is odd, since you can usually find free parking somewhere on Swanton Boulevard or Delaware Avenue. There is also a free 20 minute overlook parking near the entrance booth. This is where I took the first picture of this article.

Difficulty Photographing

The beautiful park is a favorite retreat for Bay Area residents. As a result, it is always crowded on the weekends, making photography very difficult. You need to be patient. Unfortunately, I have also seen people maltreat the creatures that inhabit the tide pools.

Close Locations

• Cliff Drive and Lighthouse
• Santa Cruz Wharf and Boardwalk
• Capitola
• Moss Landing Sea Otters
• US-35 Skyline Boulevard
• San Juan Bautista Mission and city
• Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf
• Pacific Grove
• Big Basin Redwoods State Park
• Ano Nuevo State Park
• Pigeon Point Lighthouse
• Filoli
• Winchester Mystery House

Useful Resources

• Official Park Website
• Tide Prediction for Santa Cruz
• Bird Watcher’s Guide for the Park

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

Tweet This! :: E-Mail This!
Do you find this post de.licio.us? Tell people that you reddit!

Sunset at the tide pools of Shell Beach

The affluent beach community of Shell Beach, north of Pismo Beach provides a convenient scenic stop along Highway 101. The sunsets here are more vivid than elsewhere, the air is fresher and the water cleaner.

Gorgeous ocean-view hotels, seaside restaurants, and large residences occupy the small space between Highway 101 and the cliffs of the Pacific Coast. Below these cliffs, tide pools reveal an intriguing variety of amphibian life.

Nearby, at Pelican Point and Shelter Cove, you will find a colony of Pelicans and have superb views of the sea and Pismo Beach.

How to get there

Shell Beach Road runs parallel to Highway 101 and connects the two locations. Driving north on Highway 101, take the Shell Beach exit, driving south take exit 193 towards Shell Beach Road.

GPS position

Best Western:

• 35° 8’58.85″N 120°39’13.92″W

Tide pools:

• 35° 9’22.54″N 120°40’41.36″W

How to photograph Shell Beach

Pelican at Pelican Point in Shell Beach

The Best Western Hotel occupies the best real estate in Shell Beach. Park your car and walk to the gazebo overlooking Pelican Point. The cliff extends out towards the sea. It offers superb views of Pismo Beach to the south and the rocky cliffs to the north. The gazebo itself is a romantic subject for sunset shots and a favorite for wedding photographers.

At the cliff below, you will see flocks of Pelicans. You need a medium telephoto lens to photograph the animals. Unfortunately, these comical birds live in a filthy environment. To keep the dirty rocks in the foreground out of your picture, try to catch them in flight or at the edge of a rock.

Just north of Pelican Point, you will find Shelter Cove, a small beach with an unusual amount of round rocks. Unfortunately, there is no access to the beach, giving you very limited shooting options.

Shelter Cove

If you have the good fortune or foresight to arrive at a low tide, you can take advantage of the tide pools. Many of the most fascinating creatures live underwater in these small pools. Be aware that the water creates glare, which you can eliminate with a circular polarizing filter. Unfortunately, this also means reduced light sensitivity by up to two stops.

To emphasize the alien nature of the creatures, get up close and use a small aperture (large f/number), keeping everything in focus. Together with the filter, this results in longer exposure times. Use a tripod, but keep in mind that the slight movement of the water means you should not exceed times of 1/10s. Choosing a higher ISO sensitivity will keep the exposure times short. Experiment with the settings and verify sharpness and exposure.

The tide pools also provide a spectacular foreground for a Southern California Sunset. Look for a section that reflects the sunlight to you. The golden glare will add interest and emphasize the foreground.

Put your camera on a tripod and pre-focus to maximize the depth of field. Use aperture priority mode, to keep the same depth of field as the light changes. Enable mirror lockup on your SLR or use live-view shooting mode. This avoids camera shake and keeps your pictures sharp.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The time before sunset until sunset is best. The sunset is most spectacular with cloud cover above you but an opening in the west for the sun to shine through it. When I travel north/south, I often take Highway 101 if there is a slight chance for good cloud cover. Even clear days can be good.

You need a low tide to explore the tide pools (see link below).

Time required

You can spend just a few moments photographing the sunset or up to 3 hours photographing everything else.

Equipment

• Telephoto Lens (birds)
• Wide-angle lens
• Normal Lens
• Tripod cable release
• CP Filter
• Split ND filter
• Tripod and Cable release
• lens cleaning kit to clean off the salt water

Fees

There is no fee to see these places.

Close Locations

• Pismo State Beach
• Avila Beach
• Guadalupe Dunes Park
• Point Sal State Park
• Santa Maria
• San Luis Obispo Mission
• Montana de Oro State Park
• Morro Bay
• La Purisima Mission
• Santa Ines Mission
• San Miguel Mission
• Solvang Danish Town
• Otters and Seals of San Simeon
• Cambria and Cayucos
• Santa Barbara Courthouse
• Santa Barbara Wharf
• Santa Barbara Mission

Useful Resources

• Tides in Pismo Beach

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

If you like this post, use the buttons below to bookmark it or vote for it.

Tweet This! :: E-Mail This!
Do you find this post de.licio.us? Tell people that you reddit!