Big Sur and CA Central Coast
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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
Montaña de Oro State Park Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 24 mm 8.0 sec at ƒ / 13 @ 200 ISO 9/18/19 12:01:49 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Montaña de Oro State Park Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 70 mm 10.0 sec at ƒ / 8.0 @ 200 ISO 9/18/19 12:05:33 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Montaña de Oro State Park Sony ILCE-7RM3 EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM at 25 mm 1.6 sec at ƒ / 18 @ 200 ISO 9/18/19 12:23:57 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Montaña de Oro State Park Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 70 mm 2.0 sec at ƒ / 18 @ 100 ISO 9/18/19 12:44:35 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 45 mm 2.0 sec at ƒ / 9.0 @ 100 ISO 9/18/19 10:05:14 AM ©savoyeimages.com
Spring sunset near San Simeon on the California coast. Fog is starring in the background. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 24 mm 1.0 sec at ƒ / 16 @ 50 ISO 4/11/18 7:13:06 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
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 ¹⁄₅₀₀ sec at ƒ / 3.5 @ 800 ISO 4/11/18 6:25:35 PM ©savoyeimages.com
California brown pelican. Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS at 145 mm ¹⁄₉₀ sec at ƒ / 4.5 @ 6400 ISO 9/17/19 7:23:46 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. Highway 1 Central California. 10 second exposure. Polarizer, neutral density filter. September 2019.. Sony ILCE-7RM3 EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM at 19 mm 10.0 sec at ƒ / 16 @ 100 ISO 9/18/19 7:29:07 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Hundreds of Pelicans call Pismo Beach's cliffs home, It's really fun to watch the flurry of activities in the sunset, I took this shot waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant. Some of the most Pismo Beach, CA Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS at 400 mm ¹⁄₅₀₀ sec at ƒ / 5.6 @ 800 ISO 9/17/19 7:13:25 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
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
Montaña de Oro State Park Sony ILCE-7RM3 EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM at 17 mm 5.0 sec at ƒ / 18 @ 64 ISO 9/18/19 1:11:08 PM ©savoyeimages.com
Milky Way and Pacific Ocean Sony ILCE-7RM3 Rokinon 14 f2.8 ED USM at 14mm 212.0 sec @ 800 ISO 9/18/19 9:23:09 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
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
Fog banks are rolling in the distance making the sunset. The fog was incredibly dense that day North of San Simeon. The temperature dropped 15 degrees. California central coast April 2008 Sony ILCE-7RM3 FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM at 30 mm 1.5 sec at ƒ / 16 @ 64 ISO 4/11/18 7:10:59 PM ©savoyeimages.com