Big Sur

“Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly”

That’s a line from the Van Morrison song “Brand New Day” That’s the feeling I get whenever I make my annual trek to California’s Pacific Ocean coastline. From Cambria up to Carmel, the surf was high and the sky was eclectic.

The surf is up along the Pacific Ocean Coastline at Garrapata State Park, Carmel, California

McWay Falls empties into the Pacific Ocean at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park near Big Sur, California

Pacific Coast Highway follows California’s Pacific Ocean coastline near Big Sur

Distant fog marks the horizon along California’s Pacific Ocean.

The surf is up at San Simeon, California

The sun sets along California’s Pacific Ocean Coastline

There were high surf warnings even before the tsunami warning occurred.

Some more Pacific Ocean Video

California, Ocean, Pacific Ocean, video

A short video from Sand Dollar Beach along California’s Pacific Ocean Coast. Watch in HiDef at Full Screen

California’s Central Coast

California, Ocean, Pacific Ocean

Images from last week’s trip to the Pacific Ocean. These images and more are available for purchase as prints or downloadable files for personal use at Dawn2Dawn Photography

Waves pound upon the shoreline along California's Pacific Ocean Coastline at Sand Dollar Beach near Big Sur. — Waves pound upon the shoreline along California’s Pacific Ocean Coastline at Sand Dollar Beach south of Big Sur.

Waves pound upon the shoreline along California's Pacific Ocean Coastline at Cambria — Waves pound upon the shoreline along California’s Pacific Ocean Coastline at Cambria

Waves pound upon the shoreline along California's Pacific Ocean Coastline near Big Sur. — Pacific Valley

A Foggy, Misty, Steamy, Rocky, Cloudy, Atmospheric Pacific Coastline

California, Ocean, Pacific Ocean

These images and more are available as prints or downloadable files at what’s new at dawn2dawn photography

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The Heckle and Jeckle of Condors

California, Pacific Ocean, Wildlife

A few months ago I captured the massive California Condors in flight in the post

What do an Elephant Seal, a California Condor and a Zebra have in common? A Zebra?

. This month I caught them relaxing, barely budging. They knew they were being photographed. Looks like #4 has a keen interest in the other one. These birds are about 4 feet in length so they stand pretty tall.

The Obligatory Pacific Sunset Shots

California, Pacific Ocean

If you’re on the West Coast at sunset, you better get your camera ready,

“The Sea Was Angry That Day My Friends”

California, Pacific Ocean

This may have been what Costanza said on a Seinfeld episode but I believe it was a line that Hemingway wrote in “The Old Man And The Sea”. I’m going with Hemingway because my recent trip to the California Coast reminded me more of a Hemingway novel than a Seinfeld episode. A Pacific Storm produced swells as big as I have ever seen. Most of these images were taken from Carmel through Big Sur and onto San Simeon. The obligatory sunset images to follow soon. You can purchase these images as prints or downloadable files at dawn2dawn photography Use promo code PRINTS25 to get a 25% discount!

A passing storm produces high surf along California's Pacific Ocean Coastline near Carmel — The breaking wave in this shot was about 25 feet although it is hard to tell. Needed a surfer or two out there to give some sense of scale.

A passing storm produces high surf along California's Pacific Ocean Coastline near Carmel at Point Loma. — Unfortunately, Point Lobos Natural State Reserve was closed due to the high surf but I got this shot from nearby Carmel Bay using a zoom lens.

California's Big Sur Coastline — This is a panorama where one frame is on top of another. I liked the big cloud above the beach.

Waves crash up and onto Pacific Coast Highway.

A passing storm produces high surf along California's Pacific Ocean Coastline near Big Sur — By this time, the storm had passed through yielding sunny skies and azure waters.

Rainbow Ice Plant Along California’s Coast

California, Flowers, Seasons

On my trip last week along California’s spectacular coastline, I noticed that the Ice Plant growing along the sand dunes and beaches was a very vibrant color. Fall weather had made its mark on the Ice Plant. In the second photo below, you’ll see the color of Ice Plant in other seasons. With an approaching Pacific Ocean storm, the contrast of the autumn colors to the dark blue skies was a refreshing look. Now, if we could only get an ocean in Southern Utah where I live.

Ice plant, in its fall colors, grows along the Pacific Ocean Coastline in Central California

This is the beach at Garrapata State Park just south of Carmel. The beach disappeared the next day under the high surf produced from a strong Pacific Ocean Storm. Those photos to follow soon.

Blooming California Coast

California, Flowers, Macro Photography

Although California is suffering from a severe drought, the immediate Pacific coastline has enough moisture to allow the vegetation to produce blooming flowers. It is springtime.

California’s Magnificent Coastline

California, Waterfalls

I visited the coastline between Cambria and Big Sur last week and captured these images. Additional shots of a tremendous sunset and springtime flowers will follow soon