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McWay falls drop 80 feet to the beach year-round, flowing from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in central coastal California. It's one of the only two falls in California that directly empties in the Pacific Ocean, Alamere Falls being the other one. I've wanted to get this shot for a while after seeing it a magazine. Driving back to Seattle after dropping my son in college in San Luis Obispo provided the ideal opportunity. I got to the park right for the golden hour and enjoyed a fiery sunset. There were a few photographers, but all disappeared with the fading light, and soon I was alone. Only the occasional car, the darkness, the stars, and the rumble of the ocean surrounded me. I stayed for a few hours taking in the serenity of the moment and enjoying photography. Then I locked myself out of the car, but that's another story. McWay Falls is a unique and magnificent setting. It's easy to overlook if you zip a little fast along this stretch of highway 1 along the Pacific coast. It's happened to me. The Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park hides in bend, and the falls are not visible from the road. The state park entrance is also easy to miss. The best daytime giveaway is the vehicles parked nearby. If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, add this stop to your list. I've added the GPS coordinates in the picture details. A few things need to come together to capture a picture like this one: The timing and location of the Milky Way, moonless night, and cloudless sky, and of course, a little luck. This photo is a blended exposure; the beach and falls in the foreground are a 5-minute exposure while the sky and Milky Way were exposed for 30 seconds. The two images were blended in Photoshop. I was lucky to have the falls to myself late at night — it was a magic moment that I will remember, Highway 1. Central California. September 2019. Sony ILCE-7RM3 Rokinin 14 f/2.8 ED USM @ 14mm 332.0 sec @ 400 ISO 9/18/19 8:16:34 PM ©savoyeimages.com
I stopped at Painted Hills on my drive back from California to Seattle. I didn’t know what to expect, and the detour was worth every mile. The monument is tucked in central Oregon, away from everything. The monument consists of three geographically separate units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills. (This image), and Clarno. The Painted Hills are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon and are named after the colorful layers corresponding to various geological eras, formed when the area was an ancient river floodplain. I took a bit of time to explore the monument. It’s not that big, but it’s different everywhere you look. The geology is a feast to the eyes. The Carroll rim trail is 1.6 miles long and provides breathtaking views. I hiked late in the afternoon and waited for the light to fade—the few people who had ventured up left. The coyotes howled in the distance; their calls echoed through the hills as darkness fell. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Wheeler County Oregon September 2019 f8 @ 1/20 200 ISO Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 38 mm ¹⁄₂₀ sec at ƒ / 8.0 @ 200 ISO 9/21/19 7:01:48 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Ruby beach hardly ever disappoints. It is one special place along route 101 In the Olympic National park in Washington state. A fiery sky breaks above the Pacific on Ruby Beach. Sea stacks and Abbey Island make a dramatic foreground. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 24 mm 15.0 sec at ƒ / 18 @ 100 ISO 8/27/19 8:27:57 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Okanagan National Forest in late November. The first snow storm of the season blankets the tall firs that dwell on each side of Washington Pass. It's all quiet as the sounds are muffled by the heavy snow. Soon Highway 20 will close and the forest will return to complete wilderness for a few months. November 2019 Washington, Pass- Washington USA Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS 146 mm ⅛ sec at ƒ / 16 @ 160 ISO 11/29/19 3:30:19 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Moonrise over Yosemite. The moon rose at around 9:00pm and slid behind and above Cathedral Rocks to light up the valley below. The weather had been stormy all day, but the night was an orchestra of fog, sounds and lights. This shot is a blended exposure. Foreground is 1/3 second exposure, the moon and sky 1/90 second. Yosemite National Park — Shot from Gates of the Valley. September 2019 Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS at 400 mm ⅓ sec at ƒ / 5.6 @ 1600 ISO 9/16/19 9:46:06 PM ©savoyeimages.com
McWay falls drop 80 feet to the beach year around, flowing from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in central coastal California. It’s one of the only two falls in California that directly empties in the Pacific Ocean, Alamere Falls being the other ones. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 32 mm 30.0 sec at ƒ / 22 @ 250 ISO 9/18/19 6:53:11 PM ©savoyeimages.com
This big bull strolled down the beach by the Pacific Ocean before heading back in the woods moments later. It was a calm, impressive animal. Redwoods National Park, California. Sony ILCE-7RM2 EF70-200/2.8L IS USM at 200 mm ¹⁄₂₅₀₀ sec at ƒ / 9.0 @ 1000 ISO 11/24/17 1:13:31 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Walking through Fern Canyon, I found bright colored rocks on the river bed. Sony ILCE-7RM2 EF70-200/2.8L IS USM at 200 mm 1.3 sec at ƒ / 18 @ 100 ISO 11/24/17 12:19:15 PM ©savoyeimages.com
McWay falls drop 80 feet to the beach year around, flowing from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in central coastal California. It’s one of the only two falls in California that directly empties in the Pacific Ocean, Alamere Falls being the other one. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS at 152 mm 10.0 sec at ƒ / 16 @ 100 ISO 9/18/19 7:19:45 PM ©savoyeimages.com
California Elephant seals press together at Seal beach. This one guy seems pretty cozy and happy. It can be hit and miss, but the beach was very busy that day. There can be up to 17.000 seals at one time on the stretch of sand. The peak time of the year are January, April and October. The sounds, and smells are unmistakable. Often overlooked in favor of the larger mammals, pelicans and other birds also star on those shores. Seal beach is located in San Simeon on Highway 101. San Simeon, California April 2018 Sony ILCE-7RM3 EF70-200/2.8L IS USM at 195 mm ¹⁄₁₂₅ sec at ƒ / 8.0 @ 1250 ISO 4/11/18 6:35:53 PM ©savoyeimages.com
My son and I had just driven down from Glacier Point and had a few more hours in the park before leaving to San Luis Obispo later in the night. As we came down Wanona road, we took one last stop at Tunnel View and were greeted with this scene. The visibility was nil earlier in the day. We were in the park for a long half day this time, but Yosemite gave us plenty. Night has fallen over Yosemite.. The moon is rising bringing a soft light on El Capitan. The fog, birthed in the Merced is hanging a little longer on the treetops of the valley. Yosemite, CA September 2019 Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 61 mm 20.0 sec at ƒ / 8.0 @ 1600 ISO 9/16/19 10:17:07 PM ©savoyeimages.com
It's midnight at Gates of the Valley in Yosemite National Park. All is quiet and peaceful. The fog that blanketed the valley earlier in the evening is lifting. The moon illuminates the Merced. All is well. Yosemite National Park. September 2019 Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 24 mm 240.0 sec at ƒ / 8.0 @ 500 ISO 9/17/19 12:07:09 AM ©savoyeimages.com
My son and I drove up to Glacier Point in torrential rain, hoping for a view we got to the top. A little perseverance paid off, and we were rewarded with painted skies as the storm moved away and unveiled Half Dome over Tenaya Canyon. The view at 7,214 feet is breathtaking. The point sits 3,200 above the valley. On the cliff, you feel as though you are standing at the edge of the world. The one minute exposure captured the fast moving clouds as they passed over the mountains. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 24 mm 60.0 sec at ƒ / 11 @ 100 ISO 9/16/19 7:20:21 PM ©savoyeimages.com
A peaceful Saratoga passage in January. The passage is a protected body of water tucked between Whidbey and Camano Islands near Seattle, WA. Langley, WA January 2018 Sony ILCE-7RM2 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM 70 mm¹⁄₁₆₀ sec at ƒ / 8.0 @ 100 ISO 1/13/18 1:17:56 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Surreal Sunset on the California coast April 2018 Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 24 mm 219.0 sec at ƒ / 9.5 @ 100 ISO 4/11/18 7:37:58 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Ocean and fog blend at sunset under a pink sky. Central California coast Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 45 mm 20.0 sec at ƒ / 13 @ 100 ISO 4/11/18 8:02:59 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Looking across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island from Seattle. It's April, in the distance, the snow still covers the ridges of the Olympic mountains. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM 47 mm30.0 sec at ƒ / 8.0 @ 200 ISO 4/17/19 8:25:05 PM ©savoyeimages.com
My son and I drove down from Seattle in an uninterrupted downpour. It was dark and wet when we reached the redwoods. The atmosphere was eerie: silent, dark, musky and yet beautiful and powerful. I've applied an Orton glow effect to soften the scene, I feel that this image conveys the moment precisely as I remember it. Redwoods National Park November 2018 Sony ILCE-7RM2 EF24-70/2.8L USM at 55 mm 8.0 sec at ƒ / 11 @ 80 ISO 11/23/17 12:28:03 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Perched on the Washington Pass outlook as night falls. Silence is total and only interrupted by the occasional car on the highway. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 12-24mm F4 G 17 mm 30.0 sec at ƒ / 6.7 @ 320 ISO 8/17/19 9:09:54 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Catching the last rays at Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 40 mm ¼ sec at ƒ / 20 @ 64 ISO 8/27/19 8:06:17 PM ©savoyeimages.com
