Island Photos

Santa Barbara Channel Islands View
Monday, January 16, 2012
Santa Barbara Channel Islands View

This winter has been unseasonably dry, but this weekend we had some beautiful clouds. I had been planning a trip to this spot in the hills for some time. But to get what I wanted (a view of the islands and a clear shot of the wharf and harbor with a beautiful sky) I needed the perfect combination of clouds and clear air. I finally got it!

Sandpiper Lake Sunset
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sandpiper Lake Sunset

Sunset at Sandpiper Golfcourse in Goleta California. This little duck pond (or water hazard to the golfers out there) is one of the most beautiful places to watch the Sunset in the Santa Barbara area. The sounds at this time of day are amazing. You are over a hill from the roads and populated areas with so many frogs and ducks that it seems like you are far away from civilization. Although I have never spent enough time to get hooked myself, from this point of view I can really understand the attraction of golf.

Sandpiper Golf Course Time Lapse Sunset
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sandpiper Golf Course Time Lapse Sunset

The Sandpiper Golf Course is fast becoming one of my favorite sunset spots. And I especially like the duck pond (aka water hazard). What better location to try some new techniques for some interesting time lapse shots. If you are going to stand around for a half hour with your camera watching the world go by this is surely one of the best places to do it.

Sandpiper Duck Pond at Sunset
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sandpiper Duck Pond at Sunset

A view from the duck pond at the Sandpiper golf course. Of course if you're a golfer, rather than a photographer you might call it a water hazard. But at this time of day there were more ducks than golfers. And even more frogs for that matter!

Shorline Sunset Panorama
Friday, January 18, 2008
Shorline Sunset Panorama

Click the main image for a larger view

As I have mentioned before, there are very few places you can see the sunset over the water in Santa Barbara. Our coast faces the south for the most part. But there are a few small sections that give you a glimpse of the setting sun.

This is a combination of thirteen shots covering more than 200°. My intention was to shoot an entire 360° image. In the end this particular set of images caught the best lighting to bring out the beautiful texture of the clouds. But it did not quite make the full circle.

If you like the panoramas, you should check back. My wife got me a couple of nice tripods, and one will be perfect for a panoramic head I have been drooling over... er, I mean carefully considering investing in. :-D

Leadbetter Beach Woodcut - No Lifeguard On Duty
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Leadbetter Beach Woodcut - No Lifeguard On Duty

I went out this evening to get some evening shots of the city. I was not sure exactly what I was looking for, but when I drove by Leadbetter Beach I saw it. :-D

This scene reminds me of a woodcut technique where the black silhouette is printed over a gradient background. The sky was cloudless, the dark outline at the left on the horizon is Santa Cruz Island part of Channel Islands National Park.