- This is a huge cave that goes back about 30 feet under the rocks
- To get to this vantage point you have to walk right here. Don't slip!
- I love how this points over to the waterfalls - maxxsmart
- it was right here... no mas... :( *that* would have been an amazing sight, with the water going under the little rock bridge - surfwax
Waterfalls and Waves, part II
My Portfolio and Photography Services
So there's this cool shelf just north of Four Mile Beach in Santa Cruz, and on this shelf is this cool, pseudo-seastack. And when the tide is right the waves come in, crash against the rocks and send jets of foamy wash around the pseudo-stack to cascade back into the ocean. It's pretty excellent to watch.
I've been trying to get a good shot of this phenomenon for about a month or so - ever since I found this shelf in the first place. But the conditions have to be just right in order for the photo to happen: the tide has to be higher than 3 feet, otherwise the water doesn't come up high enough to go around the stack. At the same time, the tide has to be lower than about 4 feet, otherwise the ledge I'm shooting from gets doused repeatedly by the waves. And you also need some nice sunset color to the southeast.
After a couple of attempts, everything came together for me last Friday: perfect tide levels and a nice, rosy sunset. Hurray!
Hope you enjoy it.
~Josh
Comments and faves
Joserra Irusta, Marc Briggs, Ivan Makarov, JaveFoto, and 69 other people added this photo to their favorites.
andrew c mace (38 months ago | reply)
That's gnarly, dude. Sweet comp.
Paul Marcellini (38 months ago | reply)
Really nice, dynamic image! Love that little waterfall. worth the repeated efforts!
stammberger13 (38 months ago | reply)
awesome rock textures and processing work!
Marc Briggs (38 months ago | reply)
Very cool! At first I thought it was a stream flowing down...I guess it is a stream or sorts. Good job for waiting out for the perfect conditions, nice capture!
P.S. It looks great LARGE!
Jesse Bissette (38 months ago | reply)
Beautiful shot, Josh! The sky is gorgeous, and I love the color of the water!
Leslie Campbell Photography (38 months ago | reply)
absolutely incredible shot! Love the cliffs in the foreground too - it really is a steller POV!
JaveFoto (38 months ago | reply)
Oh BOY Josh this came out AWESOME! Was this that night i talk to you? Man i should have gotten in the car and flown over, love the color on this:)
Shane Venem (38 months ago | reply)
That's a nice find. I would have sworn I'd seen nearly every inch of that coast, but there's always something you miss. Great sky and water action in this shot.
kth_friend (38 months ago | reply)
wow, great work and a great location...
well found and the result speaks for itself.. noice
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Joshua Cripps (38 months ago | reply)
Thanks so much, you guys! Your comments are really appreciated.
@jlbissette13: yeah, the rosy light on the water was so lovely
@Jave, yup, this was the night. no worries man; dinner with your wife is important too! The sunset was really nice out behind me, but there was no comp in that direction. Here's a quick shot from about 20 minutes before sunset:
@Shane: this spot would be very easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. i found it mostly by luck one night when i was out scouting.
Rich Capture (38 months ago | reply)
This came out great bro. Nice work. :-)
Panorama Paul (38 months ago | reply)
Excellent composition my friend... I love how the lines in the foreground rocks appear to be converging... that really draws my eyes to the waterfall and sky!!!
www.danielakininphotography.com (38 months ago | reply)
Great photo, love the water.
[via Flickroom]
Darvin Atkeson (38 months ago | reply)
Tried to find the place based on your description. This was the closest I could find. If that is the tunnel you crossed over..... NUTS!!! Nice shot.
Cheers,
Darv
surfwax (38 months ago | reply)
Ah...so you've been stalking too. I went out in Oct/Nov when there was still that little arch. With El Nino in the air I figured it wouldn't last. Went in Jan, slipped on that algae-ice, cracked a lens...then saw that the arch had collapsed. I was looking for what you've done so well here...but was too bummed out and there wasn't enough swell. Nice one...I love that little spot. Totally over-looked, but full of possibilities.
Joshua Cripps (38 months ago | reply)
Thanks a lot, all.
@Paul: cheers, those lines really caught my eye here as well. how fortunate for me that they point towards the waterfall, eh?
@Darvin: that is the place indeed. Haha, yes, crossing over that tunnel is a little sketchy. There is a way down the hillside onto the north part of the shelf which doesn't require crossing that 1 foot wide, algae-covered walkway-o'-doom, but it does require a tiny bit of climbing.
@John: there used to be an arch there? cool, i wish i could have seen that! sorry to hear about your mishap; this shelf certainly can be treacherous, i don't know how many times i've slipped on the algae-ice, as you call it. but yes, an awesome little spot with some great shots to be had.
tropicaLiving - Jessy Eykendorp (38 months ago | reply)
Are you kidding? I love it! You did an excellent work here Josh, i like a lot the soft light and silky waterfalls. Absolutely wonderful image!
bongarang (38 months ago | reply)
Josh this is great. I'm a sucker for moving water and love the waterfall and the silky pool beneath it. beautiful image.
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Seen on my Flickr home page. ( ?² )
Dene' Miles (38 months ago | reply)
You go with your bad self and that epic sky!! Sweet shot Josh and on so many levels.
ken.hubbell (38 months ago | reply)
This is super sweet. It pays to be patient.
Javier Millán (38 months ago | reply)
¡¡Perfect shot!! Muy buena exposición, no estaba fácil. Nitidez increíble.
milophoto (38 months ago | reply)
Great work man.
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Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
~ Aaron Reed ~ (38 months ago | reply)
That's freaking sweet man. What an awesome location. Santa Cruz is the only place I have seen that rivals the Oregon Coast. Very amazing water action! Those looked like some big ass waves too!
James Anthony Photography (38 months ago | reply)
Great shot and great location. Did you get out tonight? Light was nice I missed it.
D Breezy - davidthompsonphotography.com (38 months ago | reply)
nice and clean! nice composition, great clouds, nice water movement as well. really nice image.
satosphere (38 months ago | reply)
Fantastic shot. The excess water from the wave flowing down the rocks just looks like a tiny little waterfall on the ledge.
I was looking at the maps and there doesn't seem to be any safe way getting down there barring rappelling down the cliff near Wilder Ranch.
Hoping to see more shots from this place.
Joshua Cripps (38 months ago | reply)
Thank you very much, guys, your comments and faves are super appreciated.
@Tropical: that was my reaction too when i first saw this: are you kidding??? :)
@Aaron: Santa Cruz is certainly amazing, and I didn't even know the coast was like this when I moved here! Hopefully I'll get up to Oregon before too long to compare the two for myself.
@James: didn't get out. there were some clouds but they were dissolving pretty quickly so i opted to stay home
@Sathish: don't worry: no rappelling required! just walk along the cliff edge north of four mile beach. when you get above this shelf, there's a little ravine that leads down to it and you can just walk right down to a spot where it's only about a 3-foot drop onto the shelf. here's the location of that little ravine:
Access to the shelf
Steve Boote.. (38 months ago | reply)
wonderful shot Josh,its great when everything comes together like this and you got a really nice sky too.Superb shot mate.
Hark Lee Photography (38 months ago | reply)
Josh, amazing shot, I really like everything in this shot. Very nice processing as well. : )
- Hark
Justin Reznick (38 months ago | reply)
This is stellar Josh! I'm so glad your efforts payed off! Great foreground and sky that compliment each other so well and the awesome waterfall that makes the shot!
til213 (38 months ago | reply)
19/148 on 2010-04-14
Your photo qualifies for Faves EXTREME 10.
scrapping61 (38 months ago | reply)
Stunning
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Andrew Kumler (38 months ago | reply)
Very cool shot man, I love the textures, colors ,comp...Its all good... :)
Darren White Photography (37 months ago | reply)
Amazing work....the cascade in the middle coming over the cliff is sweet...good thing you wern't standing up there......I am thinking now that it could be cool shot from that vantage point!!!
cosplay shooter (37 months ago | reply)
24 / 203 on 2010-04-29
Your photo qualifies for Faves EXTREME 15.
cosplay shooter (37 months ago | reply)
24 / 205 on 2010-04-30
Your photo qualifies for Faves EXTREME 20.
David M Hogan (33 months ago | reply)
Wow, awesome location, this is great!
TARIQ-M (31 months ago | reply)
Amazing angle, composition and very nice colors.
SF knitter (30 months ago | reply)
Love the way everything worked out for you here. This is a very cool cascade.