This time Mother Nature left some clouds behind..... HOWEVER, Most of the good clouds disappeared about 30 minutes before this sunset. What a surprise!

About 20 miles to the south of San Francisco lies Princeton-by-the-Sea Pier. Not sure about the history of this pier but apparently Portuguese sailors from the Azores ran a whaling station here from the 1860s thru the 90s. This pier is located less than a mile from the world famous Mavericks Beach.

It is commercial Dungeness crab season on the Half Moon Bay Coastside. This beautiful coastal region, located approximately 40 miles south of San Francisco, has one of the largest concentrations of Dungeness crab with more than 50 commercial boats fishing off Pillar Point Harbor, the last working fishing harbor between San Francisco and Monterey. Purchase fresh crab directly from the fisherman, catch your own, or enjoy some of the scrumptious dishes at the many local restaurants that are celebrating this seafood delicacy.

The world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel gives visitors a panoramic view of the Southern California coastline from more than 130 feet above the Santa Monica Pier. Measuring 85 feet, the wheel moves at 2.5 revolutions per minute with intermittent stops to pick up passengers. Features more than 174,000 energy-efficient LED lights that display dynamic, eye-popping computer-generated lighting entertainment in the evenings.

Tried to get close to the Seagulls but really could not do it. I tried my best to bring out the Seagulls in this capture, but I did not quite accomplish that. I still thought it was kind of pretty because of the sunset colors.

Here I was able to capture this with a long exposure which created the “soft” water effect. The Ferris wheel had come to a stop (along with the lights) just long enough for me to take this shot.

Set on a cliff on the central California coast 50 miles south of San Francisco. The 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse is one of the tallest lighthouses in America. Its five-wick lard oil lamp and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset on Nov. 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, is 6 feet in diameter and weighs 2,000 pounds. The lens was removed in November 2011 for restoration but has not been replaced as of 2020.

As a teenager I use to visit this place often for my high school was a ten-minute walk. Santa Monica is perhaps the most famous pier on the West Coast of the USA. Over 100 movies and TV shows have used this pier in their films. I guess it doesn't help when you're just miles away from Hollywood.

It is also home to the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel gives visitors a panoramic view of the Southern California coastline from more than 130 feet above the Santa Monica Pier.

Hermosa Beach Pier allows visitors to Hermosa Beach a chance to walk out over Santa Monica Bay and look back at the Los Angeles area. From the pier the Manhattan Beach Pier is visible to the north and King Harbor in Redondo Beach is visible to the south.

The Manhattan Beach Pier is a pier located in Manhattan Beach, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The pier is 928 feet long and located at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.

This beautiful 10-acre Burton W. Chace Park is a scenic destination in Marina del Rey. Jutting out into the main channel, it offers one of the best viewing areas of the harbor with water views on three sides.

Reminds me of some of the evenings I enjoy sailing back into Marina del Rey on my dad's boat when I was a kid.

This is a pano which includes four shots stitched together using Photoshop (very high resolution.) Of course, the Internet version of this photo is extremely low resolution.

Manhattan Beach Pier is a real gem to photograph as it has a photogenic red-roofed roundhouse at the end of it and turquoise colored steel railings running the length of it. Palm trees line the parking lot at the start of the pier to complete the scene. At 928 feet long, it is not long by California standards, but this sturdy concrete bridge has been standing since the 1920’s making it the oldest concrete pier on the west coast.

Two hours ago there were all sorts of storm clouds puffing up in the sky. Maybe next time!! Looks like I was a few days late for framing the sun perfectly behind the lighthouse. Unfortunately, there are not very many vantage points that will allow me to ‘’frame’’ the lighthouse. Will not be long before the sun migrates to the left and out of frame as the spring solstice begins.

I intentionally underexpose this photo to bring out more color from the sunset.

Fort Point began construction in 1853 and was completed in 1861. It was built during the gold rush to help defend the San Francisco Bay. There are a lot of brick-lined tunnels around here. The tunnels were originally used to help safely move troops between each gun placement (like the one you see at the bottom of this image.) Now they make great opportunities for the black and white photographer.

The Long-billed Curlew's population was significantly reduced at the end of the 19th century by hunting, though numbers have rebounded somewhat in more-recent times. The species was formerly classified as Near Threatened, but new research has confirmed that the long-billed curlew is again common and widespread. Consequently, it has been downlisted to Least Concern status in 2008.

Construction began in January 0f 1933 and was open to automobile traffic in May of 1937. The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began during the Great Depression and was a welcome source for jobs. As of February 2019 almost 2.25 billion people cars have crossed the bridge.

It is commercial Dungeness crab season on the Half Moon Bay Coastside. This beautiful coastal region, located approximately 40 miles south of San Francisco, has one of the largest concentrations of Dungeness crab with more than 50 commercial boats fishing off Pillar Point Harbor, the last working fishing harbor between San Francisco and Monterey. Purchase fresh crab directly from the fisherman, catch your own, or enjoy some of the scrumptious dishes at the many local restaurants that are celebrating this seafood delicacy.

A beautiful place to take photos, I like the framing of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Cypress tree. Not quite sunset but the shadows are turning long.

This is the first time for me to setup a long exposure on a seascape. I set it up for a 25 second exposure using a Lee .9 Hard Grad and a Lee .9ND. Canon 1N with Velvia 50 (that's film.) I totally forgot to say: I climbed down and fell off a four foot ledge. I saw the ledge giving way a couple of seconds before it happened so I had a good ( 2 second) plan on how to hit the sand. I then setup for the shot and discovered I forgot my digital camera!! Thankfully I like to take my 1N everywhere.

Another shot of pigeon point lighthouse this time the sun is nicely framed. The sun was a little higher than I wanted but it went behind the clouds so this is best one from the series.

It is time to quit shooting Pigeon Point for the moment because the sun is now setting 10-15deg to the right (north) at this time, and so if the light ant right (my romantic interpretation ;-) In reality I have seen some very nice sunset colors off to the the right and it hurts when I'm not there!! This thought is the exact reason I went to Pescadero (north of here) the next day. This thought is the reason I captured ''Pescadero Sunset 04-21-09'' (located in the California Coast set.)

I spent the day scouting the beaches from HMB to the Santa Cruz county line. I want to find nice rock formations on the beach to photograph (long exposure) with the surf at sunset. As usual I headed home in time to stop by my latest obsession, Pigeon Point. Not particularity a nice cloud day but I did take advantage of the high marine layer.

This is my second try to get surf, rock, and sunset! I credit some of the local photographers for the inspiration!

This is the same time I got the ''The Last Streaks of Light'' shot with my Canon XTi. Judging from the suns position I would say this image was recorded 2 - 3 minutes before the XTi shot: ''The Last Streaks of Light.''

After doing some seascape photography this became the first day that I realized I would have to get my feet wet!! And so I did! They remained wet for about 90 minutes until I got home. I remember listening to the ''sloshing'' sound in my shoes as I was walking through the front door:-) Just a very small price to pay.

This is my Fav so far. I know it is a little dark and I'm still waiting for that spectacular sunset that will light it all up. Unfortunately, this is a difficult area to shoot during the summer because of all the fog.

I used to shoot a lot at this spot and have gotten a little carried away with it. Pescadero is a quaint Northern California community with a population of about 500 people. It is located along the coast about 40 miles south of San Francisco. The town of Pescadero is rustic, enchanting, and beautiful. This area is approximately three miles west of downtown just off of Scenic Highway 1 (aka Pacific Coast Highway.)

The signal light on the lighthouse is a 24'' aerobeacon (used at smaller airports.) They do light the main Fresnel lens on special occasions creating a spectacular light show.

The rocks are very dark so I lightened the whole image. I also did some extra ''dodging'' on the rocks and foreground. The rocks are still too dark but I'm afraid it will look too fake if brighten up the rock anymore.

I like the way the sun seems to rest into a bed of clouds.

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Seems like the lights of heaven are bursting into the sky.

Sometimes I head to the coast and all-of-the-sudden fog appears! Imagine that!! Fog near the San Francisco coast! So this time I drove a little inland near San Gregorio and found this. I almost skipped this because the fog was diffusing the light and I usually prefer direct sunlight. I'm glad I decided to shoot this because I can now see how much I was able too capture without dealing with the ''blowout'' I would have gotten with the direct sunlight. I guess that is why HDR is so popular right now. So while I'm shooting this (20+ frames) I realize I have a natural HDR filter. IT's CALLED FOG!!!

Soberanes Canyon Trail is a 4.7mi loop located near Carmel, California. A nicely weathered and dilapidated fence can often make a nice background for a photograph. That is what attracted me to these purple wildflowers.

Looks like layers of different colors.

Looks like I am getting a stare-down from that bird. Another bird in the background looks like it is getting ready to stampede me.

It had been over a month since this area was fog-free!! This is my new favorite spot for the last few months. Hope you understand! Well actually one of the reasons for concentrating on one spot is because of the limited time I have to photograph (learn one spot.) I also run my own IT consulting firm. It's funny, people think I can ''take-off'' any time I want... not so if you want to survive! Any of you who have their own business know what I'm talking about.

With the exception of ND filters, this photo has NOT been enhanced. No Photoshop!!

I love taking these long exposures across this outcrop of rocks. The sun has set, and the colors linger on as the waves roll in I will capture my final image of the evening.

I like the way somebody decided to bury their boat up against a pillar under the pier. It is like they knew that it would make a good photographic opportunity, at least in my mind😎 This photograph was taken back in 2009. However, a couple years later I noticed the boat was gone. I am guessing it is an old rescue boat from the local lifeguard station. Nowadays they use those long and thick plastic orange boards, not so photogenic!

UPDATE:

Twelve years later, I decided to expose the original color of the boat (I got “Covid-19” bored.) However, it clearly makes the boat pop.

One of the most famous piers in the world and I decide to shoot pictures under it. Not quite where all the action is, that is for sure.

It has been a very wet winter this year so I have not gotten out here as much as I would like to. In fact, this image was captured in between two storms. You would think they would be nice enough to leave a few clouds floating around. Just in case you did not know this lighthouse is called Pigeon Point Lighthouse. I took such a long exposure it made the ocean look like soup, hence the name Pigeon Soup!

I was originally walking thought these rocks and taking shots pointing towards the sun. I looked off to the right (toward Half Moon Bay) and noticed the (semi) colorful cloud textures. I was very hopeful for a colorful sunset but as usual there was a fog layer (about 20 miles out to sea) blocking that hope. Hey, they do not call this the San Francisco Peninsula for nothing.

I have gotten infatuated with this area located near Pescadero, California. I find myself visiting it quite often back around the 2010s. I love the way these rocks point out towards the sun as it sets in the winter months. I shot this with a little bit of time exposure to give it ‘’just enough’’ softness. Seemed like it gave me a ‘’rushing in’’ effect.

Summer of Color in Santa Monica is the culmination of the efforts of nearly 6,000 children in schools, hospitals, and social service programs - and more than 2,500 adult volunteers - who have participated in the initiative's program activities, which included the painting of the panels now installed on the walls and roof tops of the towers. Santa Monica, CA.

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Not sure where these parasols came from. Guessing it is from one of the local hotels like the Vista del Mar. Glad they were there because it made for some nice color contrast with the very cool white buildings in Santa Monica. I used to live about 6 miles north of here and had a nice view of downtown Santa Monica from our balcony. The only building I really remember was the tall white building. At the time it was the GTE telephone building, and it was responsible for all the phone lines (landlines) in this part of West LA. Of course, with today's technology we do not have to centralize our landlines (phone lines) anymore.

Not completely sure where these parasols came from. Guessing it is from the Vista del Mar. Hardly anybody here due to COVID-19.

Located right on Santa Monica Beach, within walking distance to the Santa Monica Pier. Hotel Vista Del Mar is one of the most luxurious beach hotels in the Santa Monica area.

The height of the building is equivalent to 11 stories, with Avalon Theatre on the main floor, and a ballroom and promenade on the upper floor. The 20,000 square foot ballroom can accommodate up to 1,500 dancers and is the world’s largest circular ballroom without supporting pillars. The ballroom retains its original romantic style -- a lavish medley of rose-hued walls, an arching, fifty-foot ceiling with five Tiffany-like chandeliers, an elevated stage, raised seating areas around the dance floor, and a vintage, full-service bar in the back. Avalon Theatre is also an architectural masterpiece, with its soaring murals, domed ceiling, perfect acoustics, and the original pipe organ built by the Page Organ Company of Lima, Ohio. It's one of the last of its kind in the world that's still in operation.

Visiting one of my most familiar haunts back in the 2010s. I was shooting up towards the North (the lighthouse) and saw the lovely surf towards the South and decided to take a shot

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I liked the way the light ''bloomed'' off the rocks on the right. I would have really loved it some clouds decided to bloom!

Baker Beach Looking at Golden Gate Bridge, Oct 2011, Nice ''Alpine'' glow. Wish it included a couple of clouds!

On the right is some type of Milkweed plant but I forget the name. The more significant the Century Plants on the left of this photograph. The Milkweed plants on the right are only a couple feet high, but the century plants on the left are over 25 feet high what is more amazing is that two plants close to each other ‘’sprouted’’ at the same time. The reason we called these century plants is because they only sprout about every 100 years (in reality, it is closer to 90 years.) Photographing two Century Plants so close to each other and sprouting at the same time is amazing!

Lemon Hill Flower Farm, this is a farm just across the street from Pescadero Beach. Not sure what the name for this flower is.

I like the way the sunlight bounces off the cliff in the forefront.

I liked the ''overall lighting'' and the ''aspen color'' on the lighthouse.

Sunset near Mussel Rock, California, Nov 9, 2011. The Mussel Rock area on the border of Pacifica and Daly City is best-known as a popular hang gliding spot. The silhouette is of Pampas grass native to Northern California.

Santa Monica Pier, This was a 15 second exposure. I liked the way the ''frosty'' look points you towards the restaurant on the pier.

I took a little pit-stop when driving from San Francisco to Los Angles. It is a very scenic area and is always well worth the extra couple of hours. I understand that they have finished refitting the generators with clean burning coal. Maybe not as photogenic but I am sure the earth will be thankful.

I like the way I caught the wave braking creating the ''frothy'' white line traveling up the picture. This is a 3.2 second exposure (for those who care.)

Back to one of my old haunts. I used to visit this area often back a few years ago but got tired of it so I moved on. I would pass it often on my way to other adventures but would rarely stop. However, today I was very close and trying to figure where I was going to go for sunset. Obviously, I ended up here. This shot was taken about ½ hour before sunset.

Pigeon Point, November 20, 2011. This is just a few days after they removed the lens in the lamp room. If you look closely you can see right through the lamp room.

The Pillar Point Harbor area was originally an agricultural area used to graze horses, cattle, and oxen at the Mission San Francisco de Asis that was established in 1776. In the early 1800s, land grants were given to Spanish settlers for ranches and farms. During Prohibition Pillar Point Harbor was popular with "rum runners" who hid in the dense fog and coves in the area.

I liked the foggy look combined with the quasi-monochrome colors of the dock and boat. It seems like the green grass in the foreground is just an extra treat.

Bixby Bridge, is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge in Big Sur, California. Bixby Bridge is the longest concrete arch span at 320 feet on the California State Highway System. It is one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world and one of the most photographed bridges along the Pacific Coast. The Bixby Bridge is located 120 miles south of San Francisco (near Carmel) along State Hwy 1 (PCH.)

This is another one of those ''cliché'' shots of the most photographed tree in North America. I was fortunate enough to be treated to a beautiful day on the Monterey Peninsula! What was funny was my friend Tony and myself came to this area because of the fog. We were originally planning to capture some of the famous Monterey Cypress in shadow with the fog as the sun began to set, however, the fog had lifted by the time we got to where we wanted to be. As a result, I had to settle for this view.

The Point Sur Lighthouse State Historic Park is located on the Big Sur coastline of Monterey County, 19 mi south of Rio Road in Carmel. It is both a California state park and on the National Register of Historic Places.

Point Sur was a notorious hazard to navigation, and the site of many shipwrecks. In 1875, the USS Ventura ran onto rocks just north of Point Sur. Though the Ventura's captain was drunk, the absence of a light contributed to the tragedy. The sinking of the Ventura became the impetus for building a lighthouse in the remote area.

John Bautista Henry Cooper, who owned a portion of Rancho El Sur surrounding Point Sur, sold 1/2 acre of land for the lighthouse and the right-of-way to the United States for $1,500 (or about $43,000 today) in November, 1889.

The first-order Fresnel lens at Piedras Blancas was first illuminated on February 15, 1875. The Piedras Blancas lighthouse was originally 100 feet high, but earthquakes damaged the structure over the years. On December 31, 1948, final damage from an earthquake centered 6 miles (9.7 km) off the point led to the decision to remove the upper three floors: the fourth landing, watch room, and lantern. Missing the ornate upper floors, the truncated lighthouse now stands about 70 feet tall. The lens was moved and is on display in the nearby community of Cambria.

I remember as a kid we use to sail here with my dad from Marina del Rey. We would usually spend a day or two here and sometimes we would sail over to Catalina Harbor (Cat Harbor.) I remember we used to hike around Catalina harbor where we could easily walk to both sides of the island. Although you did have to watch out for the wild boar.

The height of the building is equivalent to 11 stories, with Avalon Theatre on the main floor, and a ballroom and promenade on the upper floor. The 20,000 square foot ballroom can accommodate up to 1,500 dancers and is the world’s largest circular ballroom without supporting pillars. The ballroom retains its original romantic style -- a lavish medley of rose-hued walls, an arching, fifty-foot ceiling with five Tiffany-like chandeliers, an elevated stage, raised seating areas around the dance floor, and a vintage, full-service bar in the back. Avalon Theatre is also an architectural masterpiece, with its soaring murals, domed ceiling, perfect acoustics, and the original pipe organ built by the Page Organ Company of Lima, Ohio. It is one of the last of its kind in the world that is still in operation.

Obviously, I named this because of the boat that dominates the photograph in the foreground. Kind of funny it says Malibu Pier on it when I do not think you could dock this at the Malibu Pier because it is in open ocean. Also, in the background is the picturesque “fishing village” of Marina del Rey.

A little fog moving into the Santa Cruz area so one of the first things I look for are trees. Some of the nicest threes in this area are Cypress. With their wind-swept tops and their low profile, they can make fascinating subjects for any photographer.

The commercial Crab season usually opens in November and ends around June. Commercial crab fishermen have been getting their pots ready at Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay and along the Bay Area coast.

People are able to stroll down the Pillar Point Harbor pier and grab a sack of crab to take home, dine at one of the local restaurants who serve fresh caught crab, or purchase some Crab at Princeton Seafood Market.

Casino de Catalina was built on the site formerly known as Sugarloaf Point. This site was cleared away to allow for the construction of the Hotel St. Catherine. However, this hotel was eventually built in Descanso Canyon instead. When chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. bought the controlling stake in Catalina Island, he used this cleared spot to build the dance hall which he named Sugarloaf Casino. It served as a ballroom and Avalon's first high school. Its time as a casino was short, however, for it proved too small for Catalina's growing population. In 1928, the Casino was razed to make room for a newer Casino. Sugarloaf Rock was blasted away to enhance the Casino's ocean-view.

Some fishermen were dropping chum into the water and apparently this seal felt like it needed to protect ''his or her food.'' It was quite entertaining to watch this seal bark at all the Seagulls.

Caught this elephant seal trumpeting its horn.

Año Nuevo State Park has a rich variety of natural and cultural resources which draws visitors from around the world. The park’s natural preserve offers an extraordinary wilderness experience, where every year up to 10,000 elephant seals return to breed, give birth, and molt their skin amongst the scenic dunes and beaches.

Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most iconic bridges in the world. The sun is setting, and it is casting a nice warm color on the scene. I remember racing to set up so I could catch the freighter going through the bridge. Couple of seconds later it would have been too late, and the freighter would have obstructed by the bridge.

Marina del Rey is an unincorporated seaside community in Los Angeles County, California, with an eponymous harbor that is a major boating and water recreation destination of the greater Los Angeles area. The port is North America's largest man-made small-craft harbor and is home to approximately 5,000 boats. The area is a popular tourism destination for both land and water activities such as paddle board and kayak rentals, dining cruises, and yacht charters.

Avalon was first settled in pre-modern times by members of the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, several different developers tried to develop Avalon into a resort destination community, but most went bankrupt. In 1919, William Wrigley, Jr. gained control of Avalon. Wrigley oversaw much of the development of Avalon, including the construction of the landmark Catalina Casino.

Across a mustard grass field at pigeon point you can still see the lens inside the lighthouse which was taken down in 2011. I have some photographs of them lowering pieces of the lens to the ground back in November of 2011.

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds. Now on display in the fog signal building, it sat in a lantern room constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using an automated LED beacon.

Thought it was very nice to catch the Alpine glow along with the yellow mustard Flowers.

Almost 30 miles north of Santa Cruz stands Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The story behind its origins is not a pleasant one. The lighthouse was built in 1871 after a series of shipwrecks stirred public outcry.

Pigeon Point’s first victim was the ship “Carrier Pigeon.” In 1853, carrying 1,300 tons of cargo, the ship departed on her maiden voyage from Boston to San Francisco. A painting of a carrier pigeon was painted on her bowsprit as a sign of good luck. But luck was not with the ship in June of that year. After traveling 15,000 miles, it was thrown off course by heavy fog and tumultuous waves and crashed into the coast. Settlers from nearby Pescadero saw the foundering ship and flocked to the water. The entire crew was rescued, and the ship bobbed in the water for a few days before sinking. To commemorate the young vessel, the ship’s captain named the area Pigeon Point.

Quite a dilapidated boat but makes for a nice picture. Found this little gem in the Pillar Point Harbor which is located about 20 miles south of San Francisco.

About 20 miles to the south of San Francisco lies Princeton-by-the-Sea Pier. Not sure about the history of this pier but apparently Portuguese sailors from the Azores (WOW) ran a whaling station here from the 1860s thru the 90s. This pier is located less than a mile from the world-famous Mavericks beach (surf area.)

Bean Hollow Road, Pescadero, California. I love all the twisting and turning wood and the light dance on it.

Garrapata State Park, an unknown Big Sur jewel, is a treasure to those who have discovered it. Garrapata State Park's unpopulated hiking trails provide access to both the beautiful Big Sur coastline and the breathtaking Santa Lucia Mountains and lie within a short drive of Carmel.

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds. Now on display in the fog signal building, it sat in a lantern room constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using an automated LED beacon.

The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic structure connecting the city of San Francisco to Marin County, California. It spans almost two miles across the Golden Gate, the narrow strait where San Francisco Bay opens to meet the Pacific Ocean. The dream of connecting San Francisco to its northern neighbors became a reality when construction commenced in 1933. Given the chance for steady employment amid the Great Depression, construction crews braved treacherous conditions as the roadway and towers took shape over open water. The Golden Gate Bridge, opened to the public in 1937, has endured as a picture-perfect landmark and an engineering marvel.

“London fog” has nothing compared to the entrance into the Golden Gate Bridge. However, today is a delightful exception because of the heatwave blazing through. It is a sweltering 72º Fahrenheit here at Baker Beach and apparently there is quite a few naked people celebrating the unusually warm weather. On the upside, the weather provided a clear and unobstructed view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Not sure how I got the name ''Driftwood’’ but it seems to work. I found this boat the wharf located in Morro Bay, California. It was a foggy morning which lends itself well to B & W photography. So I happen upon this classic wooden fishing boat which looked like it was ‘’built for the fog.’’ The town of Morro Bay was founded by Franklin Riley in 1870 as a port for the export of dairy and ranch products. He was instrumental in the building of a wharf which has now become the Embarcadero. During the 1870s, schooners could often be seen at the Embarcadero picking up wool, potatoes, barley, and dairy products. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the town has been a center for beach holidays. Tourism is the city's largest industry. The most popular beach is on the north side of Morro Rock, north of the harbor. There are also excellent beaches north and south of the town which are now owned by the State of California.

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As I parked in my usual spot at Pescadero I happened to look across the road and saw a flower farm in complete bloom! Naturally, I had to take a look!! I call this the Lemon Hill Flower Farm just because that is the name of the dirt road use to access this farm. This area is known for flower farming... It is close to Half Moon Bay, California, USA.

These lilies are in a small canyon, more like a drainage point for a stream! This spot is about five miles north of Big Sur just off PCH (Scenic Hwy 1.) Very difficult to get a satisfactory capture considering the contrast difference between the lilies and the background. The other difficulty is because of the wind coming off the surf which is about 500 feet behind me.

Okay, so I should know what kind of birds these are considering we were talking to a bird watcher who was walking down the beach. Of course, I forgot what they are... typical. I have been to this area a few times now and I have always noticed how photogenic the power plant can be (almost sorry to say.) For one thing the smokestacks are so high they can play cool tricks with the fog. This is much more evident in other captures.

I thought this was an interesting marsh area because of the several different textures involved (like most marshes.) The warehouse isn’t the most interesting background but at least the rust helps. There are a few interesting boats but a little too far away to make much of a difference.

This is a giant rock located in the harbor of Morro Bay on the coast of central California. Known as the “Gibraltar of the Pacific” might look like an overstatement especially since I have not captured its most flattering side. I have another photo called “Morro Bay Aviary” which captures a much more dramatic side of the rock and helps give its nickname some justice. Of course, nothing replaces the grandeur of the Rock of Gibraltar but is not a bad replacement considering only takes me less than four hours to drive here from my home.

I was shooting at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse when I notice this behind me. I really liked the way the sunset colors were dancing off the foam.

Pismo Beach is a city in the southern portion of San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast area of California. The Pismo was named for the long, wide beach where so many clams were once found, once in such abundance that they were harvested with plows. Clamming once drew thousands of clammers to Pismo during low tides, and is still legal; however, due to over-harvesting by humans and the protected sea otter (which feasts on clams), few clams are to be found.

Pismo Beach adopted the name "Clam Capital of the World" in the 1950s, though this motto is no longer used. The city still holds the Clam Festival every October, complete with clam chowder competitions and a clam-themed parade.

To the right is Margo Dodd Park. Several rock arches and caves can be found around this beach for exploring and photographing.

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds. Now on display in the fog signal building, it sat in a lantern room constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using an automated LED beacon.

I love the texture in the ''high'' clouds and the striped colors!!

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds. Now on display in the fog signal building, it sat in a lantern room constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using an automated LED beacon.

There is this nice dirt road (car compatible) that winds six mile back from Hwy 1. Unfortunately, it is surrounded by private land, so you are not allowed to walk through the poppy fields. You can get much closer to them, but it is so windy (all day) the poppies would have looked blurred.

It looks like shark fins in the water so that is why I called it Shark Cove. Shark Cove is not the real name of this place. This beach is just south of Pescadero, CA.

This is almost the same shot as I took of the rocks in ''Pescadero Sunset Apr-21-09''

Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco. Very easy shot you could almost take this shot from your car window. It is close to sunset but unfortunately, I was with a non-photography crowd. They kept whimpering about how cold it was, so we did not stay until sunset. Obviously, that would be a huge "no-no" for a photographer but when you are stuck with a crowd of wimpy people there is not much you can do. The only other complaint here is that there is too much haze.

This was taken at the same time as ''Pescadero Sunset JUN 02, 2009’’ I’m just trying to see what people like better. I also went portrait on this to help flow with the direction of the rocks. Otherwise I'm way more of a landscape/pano fan. Canon 1N with Velvia 50 film (film... not digital!) With the exception of ND filters, this image has not been enhanced.

A little fog moving into the Santa Cruz area so one of the first things I look for are trees. Some of the nicest threes in this area are Cypress. With their wind-swept tops and their low profile, they can make fascinating subjects for any photographer.

Pelican... Not So Exciting. I was just happy enough to get a close-up without getting my eyes poked out!

Avalon flourished as both a tourist resort and fisherman’s paradise under the ownership of the Banning brothers, who owned Catalina Island and formed the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1894. By 1906, the harbor beach in Avalon had become crowded with boat stands, launches, rowboats, people, racks of drying fish, and sea lions waiting for handouts. To relieve congestion in the harbor, and free up the space on the beach, a new pier was built, running parallel to Avalon’s Steam Ship Pier. The Steam Ship pier was built in 1887 and stood until 1967, welcoming thousands to Catalina Island aboard the S.S. Avalon and S.S. Catalina.

Rocky Creek Bridge is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge on the Big Sur coast of California, built in 1932. It is located in Monterey County, on the State Route 1 (PCH) about 12 miles south of the city of Carmel, and about a mile north of the more famous Bixby Creek Bridge. As its name implies, it spans Rocky Creek. The vicinity ecology is noteworthy in that the marine waters at the mouth of Rocky Creek are a habitat for the endangered southern sea otter.

Pillar Point Harbor is a boat harbor created by a riprap breakwater in San Mateo County, California immediately north of Half Moon Bay. It is used by both pleasure craft and small commercial fishing boats. Just a few traps left behind from the local fisherman.

About 20 miles to the south of San Francisco lies Princeton-by-the-Sea Pier. Not sure about the history of this pier but apparently Portuguese sailors from the Azores (WOW) ran a whaling station here from the 1860s thru the 90s. This pier is located less than a mile from the world-famous Mavericks beach (surf area.)

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds. Now on display in the fog signal building, it sat in a lantern room constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using an automated LED beacon.

Pigeon Point Light Station or Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States. It is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation.

This image was captured over 20 minutes after sunset. Final Alpine glow hitting the lighthouse and fence. I love the lines created by the fence and was my main inspiration for this photo.

I like the soft pastel-like colors of the sunset on the clouds.

Apparently, this boat did not quite make the Landing. I noticed the boat in the corner of my eye as I am driving home from a wonderful five-day excursion photographing the California coast between Carmel and Morro Bay. I had the good fortune and pleasure to be shooting with a good friend and an excellent photographer Tony Reynes.

I was strolling around one of the fishing docks at Morrow Bay. I was also quite distracted watching a fisherman’s dog interacting with all the seals. The fisherman was preparing their bait and throwing “chum” overboard which was attracting the seals. The dog would stand at the edge of the deck and look intensively (but friendly) at the seals as they were feeding just a few feet away. The dog would give a friendly bark and run up and down the deck as if it were trying to find a way into the water so it could make friends with the seals. None-the-less it was quite a distraction… however, I just happened to look up at the smokestacks and noticed the nice light. I was desperate to capture this look, but I needed a nice foreground. Although the fishing boat could have looked more interesting, I was thankful for the moment.

Probably would have liked a little more fog but I still like it. This small crane is used to help unload the fisherman’s catch. The town of Morro Bay was founded by Franklin Riley in 1870 as a port for the export of dairy and ranch products. He was instrumental in the building of a wharf which has now become the Embarcadero. During the 1870s, schooners could often be seen at the Embarcadero picking up wool, potatoes, barley, and dairy products.

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