Grey Whale Cove Surf - San Mateo County, California
Here is another view of Grey Whale cove at sunset during low tide at sunset. I was almost completely trapped in here but the granite is so beautiful that it is hard to resist. No HDR.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1600 pixel version!!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/543900362...
---------------------------------------------------------
Details about this image:
---------------------------------------------------------
Canon 5D mark II
Canon 17-40L lens @19mm
1/4-sec. exposure @F10
ISO 100
ND Grads 0.9 + 0.9
No polarizer.
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop cs4
Small Slik Sprint mini II tripod
Manfrotto 322RC2 pistol-grip ball head
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Story
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I made this photo just a few minutes before the last one I uploaded to my photostream. The colors in the high thin clouds were just starting to change. 5 minutes earlier there was no color but blue in the sky. 5 minutes later, the reds were so vivid that I had to desaturate the colors in Photoshop to get them under control!
This little area is only accessable during low tide and my back was right up against a big cliff. It is a little nervewracking being in here watching the next set of big waves moving in as you can see. This is a wide angle shot so the waves do not look too big, but about 20 seconds later, I was more than waist deep in the water and it stayed high for another 30 seconds. I had on swimming trunks so it was 'no big deal' and I just put my tripod over my head and waited. (For you tropical people out there, the air was warm but the water is cold (56f-13c) so many things were 'no big deal' if you know what I mean!) However, another photographer with a very big tripod had moved in next to me. I had not noticed him because I was concentrating on getting this tricky composition right. He had on long pants and tennis shoes and he got drenched! I felt bad that I did not warn him about the way the waves break here. A place can be dry for a few minutes and then. bam, it is submerged by 3 waves coming together at once. In most places, these sneaker waves happen every 30 minutes or so but for some reason they come every few minutes (every 15-30 wave cycles) here. It is like a normal set of bigger waves that you see on any beach combine and for a kind of surge. It is very odd. I warned a couple where were standing next to me just a few minutes earlier and they got out when the previous sneaker surge struck.
I got into this spot because I wanted to shoot the granite with the sun striking it as it can only do in the winter. It is almost like a magic cave or something. However, be very careful if you come here. It seemed like a harmless beautiful place, but the sea can 'reach out and touch you', if you know what I mean!
In the notes, I explain what I was doing with the composition. It was not easy to do.
The map shows the exact location.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Other stuff
---------------------------------------------------------------------
My pictures are featured on the front page of the
state Government. of California website and the new Governor, Jerry Brown's website too. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Google Earth
Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.
Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr
Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif
Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.
.
Grey Whale Cove Surf - San Mateo County, California
Here is another view of Grey Whale cove at sunset during low tide at sunset. I was almost completely trapped in here but the granite is so beautiful that it is hard to resist. No HDR.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1600 pixel version!!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/543900362...
---------------------------------------------------------
Details about this image:
---------------------------------------------------------
Canon 5D mark II
Canon 17-40L lens @19mm
1/4-sec. exposure @F10
ISO 100
ND Grads 0.9 + 0.9
No polarizer.
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop cs4
Small Slik Sprint mini II tripod
Manfrotto 322RC2 pistol-grip ball head
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Story
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I made this photo just a few minutes before the last one I uploaded to my photostream. The colors in the high thin clouds were just starting to change. 5 minutes earlier there was no color but blue in the sky. 5 minutes later, the reds were so vivid that I had to desaturate the colors in Photoshop to get them under control!
This little area is only accessable during low tide and my back was right up against a big cliff. It is a little nervewracking being in here watching the next set of big waves moving in as you can see. This is a wide angle shot so the waves do not look too big, but about 20 seconds later, I was more than waist deep in the water and it stayed high for another 30 seconds. I had on swimming trunks so it was 'no big deal' and I just put my tripod over my head and waited. (For you tropical people out there, the air was warm but the water is cold (56f-13c) so many things were 'no big deal' if you know what I mean!) However, another photographer with a very big tripod had moved in next to me. I had not noticed him because I was concentrating on getting this tricky composition right. He had on long pants and tennis shoes and he got drenched! I felt bad that I did not warn him about the way the waves break here. A place can be dry for a few minutes and then. bam, it is submerged by 3 waves coming together at once. In most places, these sneaker waves happen every 30 minutes or so but for some reason they come every few minutes (every 15-30 wave cycles) here. It is like a normal set of bigger waves that you see on any beach combine and for a kind of surge. It is very odd. I warned a couple where were standing next to me just a few minutes earlier and they got out when the previous sneaker surge struck.
I got into this spot because I wanted to shoot the granite with the sun striking it as it can only do in the winter. It is almost like a magic cave or something. However, be very careful if you come here. It seemed like a harmless beautiful place, but the sea can 'reach out and touch you', if you know what I mean!
In the notes, I explain what I was doing with the composition. It was not easy to do.
The map shows the exact location.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Other stuff
---------------------------------------------------------------------
My pictures are featured on the front page of the
state Government. of California website and the new Governor, Jerry Brown's website too. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Google Earth
Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.
Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr
Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif
Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.
.