I missed my weekly photo a few weeks back. Now I’m making up for it with two photos from the same day. Banana slugs are common in the Santa Cruz Mountains if you keep your eye out for them. This one must have thought these leaves were delicious, he looked like he was going to eat the whole thing.
California redwoods grow in some rugged and beautiful places. Butano State Park is full of steep ravines and trails that will take you through them. It is a great place to check out the redwoods in all their glory.
The world can be crazy, sometimes you just need to think about a happy place. I love the rocky and cold beaches of Northern California, and this image sums them up pretty perfectly.
Traffic on The Embarcadero never stops. The good news is that if you wait until sun down, the lights and the Ferry Building really make the palm trees glow.
I’ve avoided this photo for awhile, mostly because it was so busy I didn’t really know how to edit it. Looking at it with fresh eyes, I like the way the misty day and soft green moss leads you to the intricate and weird patterns in the tafoni rock. Take a short hike from Skyline Boulevard and you too could check out these interesting rocks.
The sharp cliffs and rocky arches of the Mendocino Headlands can be overwhelmingly beautiful. Best to take a step back and try to appreciate the sea, the sky and the land all spreading out before you.
Sometimes it is the darkest skies that have the best colors. After the sun goes down the little light that was left over San Francisco was deep blue and purple and very moody.
I’ve wanted to experiment with day time long exposures to capture waves like this for a long time. I finally got the right ND filter to smooth these waves out and make them look more like smoke floating around than waves. The jagged rocks of the Mendocino Headlands provide contrast to the soft look of the waves with their crazy shapes and unique arches.
California has seen a lot of rain this year, so much that we are out of a drought! I celebrated by checking out Sempervirens Falls for the first time. Big Basin Redwoods State Park never disappoints, and this waterfall is easy to get to and great to photograph.
It is starting to feel a lot like spring here recently. I hiked this hillside awhile ago, but it reminds me of today with all of the green from the rain and new growth in the trees.
