Uploads from Darvin Atkeson, tagged natural, with geodata

Half Dome

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:52:16 -0800

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Explore Jan, 8th 2012

Storm clouds part to illuminate the tall grass of Ahwahnee Meadow. The contrast with the darkened sky and deep evergreens seems to cause the edge of the meadow to glow. Half Dome, Yosemite's most famous granite monolith towers nearly 3000 feet above the lush evergreens in the background. The scope of the size of this is difficult to comprehend even while standing on the edge of the meadow. You can take in this view daily as a row of cabins opposite the shot host a year round web cam. The cabins and this stunning view are enjoyed daily by park employees for the time that they work in the park. I am sure they have tough jobs but WOW, what a few to wake up to.

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios

Chase all the clouds from the sky - Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:37:33 -0800

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

Explored at #36

I woke up a bit late and looked outside to see the skies were perfect for a
trip to the beach to do some photography. I grabbed the gear and rushed
out the door. It was a cold crisp winter day having recently snowed down
to near sea level in the San Francisco bay. I thought about trying to film
the snow on Mt. Diablo but prefer to shoot the ocean when I can so I pushed
on towards the beaches. Arriving at Half Moon Bay just south of San
Francisco I looked North then South. As often is the case, the vast
majority of the clouds hung over the coastal foothills to the south due to
the cold wet air from the Pacific pushing up and condensing over the
mountains. I continued south to Bean Hollow Beach and picked a nice spot
to wait for sunset. But as time passed so did the clouds and after a
while only a few distant clouds clung to the horizon. That combined with
the strong waxy stench of a rotting blue whale carcass that washed ashore a
few months back persuaded me to push on further south. I had to push back
the urge to stop at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse is a wonderful
subject but I have many shots waiting to be posted. Besides, most of the
clouds were still to the south.

(NOTE: If you'd like to see the lighthouse just view some of the recent
posts in my photostream.)

The sun was getting close to the horizon and it was time to plant it or head
back home. I was at the very northern side of Santa Cruz and decided to
stop and film the rocky bridge at Natural Bridges State Park. It's a
wonderful site film but often crowded with beach goers and surfers who love
to wade out to the rock and make themselves an unwanted subject in your
landscape photography. However the temperature today was barely in the
high 30s and I hoped that this would discourage the usual beach crowd.
Little did I know I'd end up being one of them. The lagoon that feeds in
to the ocean was flowing heavily in to the Pacific from the recent rain and
as my luck would have it the water was flowing in to the ocean on the south
end of the beach meaning it was time to get wet. There were a number of
other photographers already setting up along the surf and I refused to miss
my chance. The creek often flows in to the north side of the beach so I
had left my water shoes in the car. Throwing my tennies over my shoulder I
waded in to the icy water letting out a fairly loud yelp as the water went
halfway to my knees. It would turn out that the ocean was warmer than the
sand so I spent the rest of the evening filming the sunset in my bare feet
as the tides washed in over my deep blue toes. By the time I was done I
could barely feel my feet. (Note to self, buy some fishing waders)
Nothing feels so good as to put the heater on full, crack the moon roof and
let the hot air flow over your freezing toes. But in the end, I think it
was worth it. I met some fellow photographers and had a good time filming
the bridge.

If you enjoy the shot, and have read this far, do me a favor and drop me a
comment below.

Cheers,

Darv

Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight.com

Point Sur Vista - Big Sur California

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:25:56 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

Best Viewed On Black | My Photostream On Black | Desktop Background

NOTE: This one really does shine when Viewed On Black

My wife was kindly doing the driving while I gazed out to sea. We rounded
a turn and I caught a glimpse of what I thought was a natural bridge down
below. We had to drive a bit before we found a place to turn out which
meant I was hoofing it back up the hill. There is was, a natural bridge
that looked something like an elephants head with the image dominating Point
Sur volcanic rock in the distance. I timed my shot to coincide with the
light of the Point Sur light station. We were really enjoying watching the
waves roll in off the crystal blue Pacific and turn to a foamy white. A
short ways down the road we discovered a sign indicating that tours of the
Point Sur lighthouse are available on Wednesdays and again on the weekends.
We agreed that we'd revisit the site and take the tour at some future date.
We could see the light from the Point Sur lighthouse as far north as
Carmel's Point Lobos. he weather couldn't have been better so we continued
down California's Highway One headed towards Pfeiffer Beach.

Darv

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Photography

Eternal Pacific - Pfeiffer State Beach California

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:05:48 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

Best Viewed On Black | My Photostream On Black | Desktop Background

A stunning sunset is a reminder that each moment in life should be cherished
and though I was hard at work shooting the sunset I took many moments to
just kick back and take it all in. As I look at this image I wonder what
it must be liked for the seagull in the image to be flying off towards the
distant clouds. Even if this was an everyday occurrence it still has to be
impressive. I love looking in to the great distance of a Pacific sunset.
It just seems to go off in to eternity. Vistas like this always give me a
peace of mind that I cannot describe.

I have been to Pfieffer State Beach a number of times and have been closed
out by fog too many times. As is often the case with my photography, I
set out with certain goal but end up somewhere totally different. For the
most part, following my instinct pays off but not always. On this day I
would follow those instincts and make the trip to Big Sur and Pfeiffer
beach. After a stop at the always stunning McWay falls about six miles
south I decided to head north for a sunset at Pfeiffer beach. The closer I
got the worse it looked and I thought perhaps my instincts hadn't been right
and I was going to be shut out by the cloud cover. But just as I walked
though the Cypress trees and on to Pfeiffer beach I could see the sunset.
There were large waves and then I saw it! A massive explosion of water
burst though the rocks of the tunnel that Pfeiffer beach is famous for.
The water came around the rock and though it all at once in one massive
wave. It was quite impressive so I took extra effort to set up for the
sunset shot so that the burst of water though the tunnel could be seen in
the sunset.

Darv

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Photography

Neptune's Looking Glass

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:23:06 -0800

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

About dozen miles or so north of Santa Cruz there is a small area you can pull off the Pacific Coast Highway. There is no markings indicating beach access and had it not been that I just happened to pull over I might never have noticed the trail. You then proceed down and across the railroad tracks and down a steep drop to the beach. What you find is a beautiful beach with a large rock. The large rock has a sea tunnel to that views out on to the Pacific. A distant fog bank typical in the summer months. Even
on a sunny weekend you are likely to have the beach to yourself.

NOTE: I geo-tagged the beach so it would be eady to find if you should go looking. As per Jim Patterson (below), I have learned that this is called Shark Fin Cove. Thanks Jim.

Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
Darvin Atkeson
California Photography

Point Bonita Lighthouse

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:06:21 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

Here she is doing her job keeping the rocks lit with the original beacon
still running after all these years.

We scheduled the full moon tour of the Point Bonita Lighthouse only to find
out that the suspension bridge over to the lighthouse has been condemned and
as you can see, there was any seeing the moon due to the fog. I set the
camera up for a long exposure and watched as the wave pounded the natural
arch below the lighthouse. The constant salt air and spray, some of which
you can see on the lens, really takes its toll on the lighthouse and bridge.
Even the rocks are being slowly eroded away by the pounding sea. The
volunteer giving the tour had been doing so before the bridge was built.
The land underneath used to be a foot path over to the lighthouse. As you
can see, that would be a bit precarious walk now and thus is why the
suspension bridge was built. As with many of California Lighthouse, this
one is also in need of some repairs. Hopefully donations and state funding
will keep these wonderful treasures of history functional. At least until
the rock under the lighthouse is pounded away.

-Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
© Darvin Atkeson
California Photographer

Redwoods - John Muir Woods - Fork in the Trail

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:04:49 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

This is another image from John Muir Woods National Monument and one of the
ones I took mid day in the fall. This is also one of the images from my
first real attempt with a descent camera. I don't think you can take a bad
picture of this park short of leaving your lens cap on. If you like this
image you should check out the set I have on John Muir Woods and other
nearby Redwood parks as I have many stunning images of Redwood Forest from
around the state of California.

-Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
© Darvin Atkeson
California Photographer

Fallen Redwood becomes a tunnel (Panorama)

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:36:01 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

BEST VIEWING I just added this new viewing method so any feedback is welcome. Thanks.

This was my first visit to Sequoia National Park. It was pouring rain in
the valley and we thought the day would be a bust but it was anything but.
The fog in the redwoods only added a mysterious effect to the forest. It
kept everything damp and thus color saturated. This is a stitching of 8
images in to one panorama. I have found it best to take multiple
overlapping shots with very little change between pans. This technique
seems to give Photoshop exactly what it needs to do a good panorama without
much effort. Some after editing was done but it was minor. The
resulting full size image 10524 pixels by 2049 pixels. I have shrunk it
down slightly to a maximum of 1200 pixels tall.

I ask that if you wish to use the image for anything other than personal use
as desktop wallpaper you first contact me. I am happy to provide prints of
the full size image for optimal clarity without the LiquidMoonlight.com
watermark. Please respect my copyright so that I might continue to upload
images of this size and quality.

Thank you,
-Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
© Darvin Atkeson

Beaches - San Francisco - Baker Beach - Sunset and a Crescent Moon

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:58:32 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

I often stop at Baker Beach but not usually to take pictures of anything but
the Golden Gate Bridge. However upon this night when getting out of the
car, this was the view. I had to zoom out to get the moon over the beach
but I thought the sunset, moon and people on the beach made for a great
shot. When I got home, I liked what I had managed to capture. Baker Beach
is a great place to stop and get images of The Golden Gate Bridge. I have
several from this beach of the Golden Gate Bridge and they always turn out
good.

-Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
© Darvin Atkeson

Natural Bridges State Park - Santa Cruz, California

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:07:22 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

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A Snowy Egret hunts crustaceans hidden in the sand as the light from the setting sun illuminates the fast moving clouds above the bridge of Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz, California. Children played in the surf as I arrived but as the evening wind and chill set in this stunning landscape was left alone to me, a few diehard photographers and dozens seabirds or so. The wet sand made for a near perfect mirror rocks and sky in a photographers dream. The day had been hazy but just as the sun was setting clouds rolled in off the Pacific Ocean creating a beautiful sunset with deep blue waves that washed in an out of the archway.

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios

Springtime at Pigeon Point Lighthouse

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:38:05 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

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Brilliant flowers cover the fields near California's Pigeon Point Lighthouse along the popular scenic route Highway One. At one time, the field was farmland but is now part of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Park and has grown in with wildflowers that bloom early each spring.

Sometimes it seems that we landscape photographers focus so much on getting that golden hour shot that we often overlook or just don't go out during the bright daylight hours. This day was originally just planned as a sunrise shoot of the Bay Bridge but we got shut out by low clouds. I stuck it out for the entire day and came away with a number of great daytime shots and my luck held and was treated to a stunning sunset as well.

I spent a couple of hours shooting the springtime flowers at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. I am pretty sure the flowers mid screen are wild mustard. There are some light purple flowers mixed in here and there.

I am not sure of the name of the bright yellow trumpet shaped flowers in the foreground. If you know, drop me a note below.

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios

Evening Splendor - Bridges State Park, California

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:26:57 -0800

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

Not many places are more picturesque than the Northern California Coast and Monterey Bay is perhaps one of the more stunning stops. Looking south from Santa Cruz you can make out the purple mountains of Monterey and Big Sur running along the horizon as storm clouds dissipate and offer a last bit of warm color from the setting sun. This little beach known as Bridges State park (now just one bridge) is just around the corner from Santa Cruz's Beach Boardwalk and is a popular stop. And not just for the picture perfect sunsets but also for the large gathering of monarch butterflies in the trees just up the beach. It's a popular tourist attraction and takes some patience for photographic opportunities. Fortunately on this day the crowds were small and as my blue feet could attest the water was a tad chilly for wading. The wife and I chatted with a few fellow photographers who also braved the chilly evening to catch the last bit pastel lights in the surf.

Darv

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight

The beacon shine clear - Point Bonita Lighthouse California

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:06:12 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

A close up shot of the lighthouse. You can clearly make out the lens and
other details in the lighthouse. It was a damp night but the lighthouse
shone through the fog with a warm glow. The fog was so thick and the spray
from the ocean didn't help either. I had to constantly wipe the camera down
while taking these pictures. It turned dark quickly and there was only
about a 15 minute spread where I could take pictures of the Point Bonita
Lighthouse. I got some good shots but do hope to return to capture a
sunset some day in the near future.

-Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
© Darvin Atkeson
California Photographer

Eastern Sierra - Lake Tahoe Sunset - Fire in the Sky

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:37:16 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

I had originally pulled over here to take a picture of a really bright Ice
Rainbow (See Photo Stream) and had to scamper down a cliff of boulders to
get to the water's edge. Not easy with camera gear. As we watched the sun
go down I decided to stay and shoot the sunset. I wasn't disappointed. I
am told the sunset on Tahoe is always pretty spectacular.

Lake Tahoe is the largest freshwater alpine lake and second deepest in the
US. It is second only to Crater Lake in the Cascade Mountain range in
Oregon. You can come to Lake Tahoe for many reasons. Obviously I came
for the photography and stunning scenery. The lake also offers boating and
many water sports. Skiing both on the water and the snow of the mountain
slopes surrounding the lake. One of the biggest draws is that Lake Tahoe is
the first place along the California Nevada boarder that you will find major
Casinos for gambling and the shows for which the casinos are known for. We
noticed most of this along the Southern Shore of Lake Tahoe. You will
certainly know when you cross from California to Nevada.

To choose Photography you need to find areas of Lake Tahoe that are less
developed. It took a bit of driving to find this spot which was on the
Nevada side looking back at the sunset over California. I've seen many
great shots of the lake with nothing man made so I know there are some great
shots. I hope to return this Winter to get some shots of Lake Tahoe after a
fresh snowfall. Some of the best pictures are of the lake in the Snow.
For now, I present to you this image of Lake Tahoe at Sunset which I named
Fire in the Sky. I think you can see why.

-Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
© Darvin Atkeson

Redwoods - Muir Woods - A Walk In The Park

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:43:40 -0700

Darvin Atkeson posted a photo:

Since John Muir Woods is so magical and so close to where I live, it tends
to be one of the places I go just to practice my photography. As a result,
I have many fantastic pictures of Muir Woods. This is another one of my
favorites. It was a cool windy day and we dropped down in to the valley
where Muir Woods is hidden and the wind stopped and it was just this calm
peaceful place. You could see the tops of the redwoods swaying in the wind
but down below, there was hardly a breeze. As you round one of the last
turns of the 1.2 mile walk around the loop you come to this place just
before getting back to the first bridge of 4 bridges across the creek.
It's a perfect picture of a walk in the park. The trail is very and paved
or a boardwalk the entire walk. If you want to take a slightly more
rigorous trail you can go up the hill a bit at the very far end. However
will have to double back or miss a fair amount of the loop. For photography
three things are essential. 1) A tripod. Even during mid day it can be
dimly lit down under the canopy. 2) A Circular Polarizer filter. This
really enhances the greens and blues. It also slows down your shutter time
so you need item #1 even more. 3) Lastly you need a great deal of
patience. Many people will stop right in front of your camera preventing
you from getting the shot. One way I have gotten around this is to take a
shot with them in it, then wait for them to move slightly and take another
while on the tripod. When I get home, I can copy from one to the other.
The one drawback is that during mid day, just a few minutes can change the
position of the shadows making this method impossible. In this image
however, the trail was clear for a few moments and I was able to snap off
several good shots. This is my selection of those shots. Always be sure
to take more than one shot and adjust the exposure to make sure you get it
right. You'll hate yourself if you get home and you realize only then you
missed it.

-Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
© Darvin Atkeson