Posts Tagged ‘Half Moon Bay’

New Photos Added Jan 2010

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

I’ve added a new batch of photos to my galleries, featuring pictures of dogs, Half Moon Bay (CA), and some miscellaneous images.

Dogs

I had the chance to photograph our dogs in a variety of locations, including the Sierra Nevada, the beach near Half Moon Bay, and in our backyard during a surprise snow storm this winter. The beach and snow were firsts for our newest dog Jasper, and it was a delight watching him excitedly zoom around digging and pouncing in sand and snow. He never did figure out not to drink the salty sea water, though. He’s still young.

Dog (golden retriever) running on the beach, Montera State Beach, California

Dog (golden retriever) running on the beach, Montera State Beach, California

Dogs (golden retrievers) playing at the beach, California

Dogs (golden retrievers) playing at the beach, California

Half Moon Bay

We made several trips to Half Moon Bay, and I spent some time at Pillar Point Harbor photographing fishing boats adorned with Christmas lights. Decorating the fishing boats at Christmas is a tradition in Half Moon Bay, and I’m hoping to use some of these images to create some unique Christmas cards for next year.

I also made my way down to Pigeon Point Lighthouse near Pescadero for some classic sunset photos. At 115-feet high, Pigeon Point Lighthouse is one of the tallest in America. The lighthouse was made operational in 1872, and has been aiding ship navigation ever since.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse at Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park at dusk near Pescadero, California

Pigeon Point Lighthouse at Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park at dusk near Pescadero, California

On a particularly overcast morning I quietly parked myself on the beach near Pillar Point and tried getting some good photos of shorebirds. I spent most of the morning with a group of Sanderlings, who made challenging subjects as they darted up and down the beach with the waves, foraging for invertebrates.

Sanderling (Calidris alba) running on the beach, Half Moon Bay, California

Sanderling (Calidris alba) running on the beach, Half Moon Bay, California

Spending just a little time trying to photograph birds gives you a real appreciation for masters such as Arthur Morris and Tim Fitzharris — it ain’t all just big lenses.

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New Photos Added Nov 2009

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

I’ve added a bunch of new photos to the website, including a pictures from trip to the tattoo shop, nature & landscape images, and, of course, pictures of dogs.

A trip to the tattoo shop

A big shout out to Justin Shaw of Faith Tattoo in Santa Rosa, CA, who let me photograph him at work creating a tattoo. My wife has been wanting an ankle tattoo for years, and finally took the plunge. Justin took her ideas of what she wanted and created a custom tattoo of just what she had imagined.

Justin Shaw of Faith Tattoo works on an ankle tattoo

Justin Shaw of Faith Tattoo works on an ankle tattoo

The photography for me was pretty different than my normal work, with extensive use of flashes to create the lighting. I used a Nikon SB-800 strobe in an umbrella for the main light, and another SB-800 behind Justin for rim lighting. Both were triggered wirelessly with the built-in flash of a Nikon D300 on commander mode, which let me remotely adjust the power of each flash as I went. Very cool.

Eastern Sierra

Another recent highlight was a camping trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevada in California, where we attempted to camp with two dogs for the first time. Here’s a tip: two adults and two full-size dogs do not fit in a two person tent. (And make sure to bring a towel – check out the shot of the muddy dog outside the tent. Not pretty.)

Morning alpenglow in Wolf Creek area of Toiyabe National Forest

Morning alpenglow in Wolf Creek area of Toiyabe National Forest in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, California

A muddy dog lies in the dirt waiting to get into a tent

A muddy dog lies in the dirt waiting to get into a tent

We had a great trip nonetheless, with stops in the Wolf Creek area of Toiyabe National Forest, and Highland Lakes in Stanislaus National Forest.

Half Moon Bay

There are also a group of pictures from Half Moon Bay, on the bluffs at Pillar Point. The wildflowers were out and the sky was typically foggy, which is a great combo for photos. I was able to get some photos of lupine, walking the dogs, and pictures of dogs among the wildflowers.

A golden retreiver rests in a field of wildflowers on the coastal bluffs of Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, California

A golden retreiver rests in a field of wildflowers on the coastal bluffs of Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, California

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