A Photo a Day by Bill Heller

Ocean Photos

Monday, April 18, 2005

Pacific Coast Sunset

One day while we were in Monterey we took a drive down Highway 1. It was a hazy day, but that made for a nice sunset. As we got higher on the side of the mountain it looked like we were above a layer of clouds that was hugging the water. With a little luck I will have some photos of that... as soon as I get the other 23 rolls of film developed. :-D

The bright spot at the left of the photo that initially looks like the sun is actually a lens flare. The sun is out of the frame. Because of the haze, including the sun in the shot made a large fuzzy bright area rather than a nice sunset shot.

 
Thursday, April 14, 2005

Gold Coast Sunset

I just got back from a trip to Carmel and Monterey. It was a much needed vacation, it's been over two years since my last one. I had a great time, although I did find out that my Hound Dog's idea of a vacation is a long morning walk at about 6:30am (we normally try to sleep in.)

Those morning walks did give me a great opportunity to explore with my camera though. I shot over 38 rolls of photos while I was there, it was very relaxing. Of course, quantity by no means equals quality, but I hope to have a few nice shots for the site anyway! :-D You be the judge!

This shot is from a drive down Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) in the late afternoon on a hazy day. The haze and low sun made a beautiful golden glow. And, it was a particularly windy day, a few rain showers had just passed through which made for some nice waves.

 
Monday, April 4, 2005

Laguna Beach Sunset

I was enjoying the sunset with a good friend, talking about cameras and snapping pictures. It was a really good day!

 
Saturday, April 2, 2005

Santa Barbara Harbor

Sunsets and water are a great combination. This shot was from an evening walk by the Santa Barbara Harbor.

 
Monday, March 14, 2005

Stearns Wharf

This is another of my favorite local spots, Stearns Wharf. The Wharf actually has a section that branches off and points back to shore. That is why it looks like this is not connected to the shore. This was taken near sunset which gave it a nice evening feel that I really like. This print has been in several shows.

 
Wednesday, March 2, 2005

Beach Rock

Some pictures are all about the timing. I like the fact that the close side of the rock is dry. I took a couple more pictures on the next waves, but they are not quite as cool 'cause the rock was already wet.

 
Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Snowy Egret

Subjects like this really reward you for being patient. This Egret was slowly wandering around the edge of the water looking for a snack. We must have looked like quite a site, him stalking lunch, me stalking him. Over about 20 minutes I was able to get really close.

 
Monday, February 21, 2005

Sea Basset

There is a great spot in La Jolla where the Harbor seals take over the beach in the winter. There is a roped off section of the small cove called "Childrens' Pool" that allows the seals to bask with their young. You can get very close to them and watch their antics. Which, incidentally is why this picture is named what it is. These guys really know how to relax, and when they are not relaxing, they are total clowns. Just like my Basset.



 
Sunday, February 20, 2005

Evening Surf

I talked to a friend on instant messenger last night. He had just arrived in Europe for a week. It made me start to think it had been too long since I went on a nice trip. So I went to Sammy's today to stock up on film, my primary requirement for vacation supplies. ( Think... Hmmm, did I forget anything? nope, got film!... oh, I forgot to pack any shirts! )

In keeping with that thought, this is a shot from my first trip to La Jolla. Walking along the edge of the bluff by the beach gives you a great perspective on things happening at beach level.

Well Steve, I hope you are having a great time! Take lots of pictures!

 
Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Moonlit Laguna

This shot was taken after dark, lit only by the nearly full moon. I have been experimenting with evening and night time exposures. This was a twenty minute exposure on Fuji Velvia.

 
Saturday, January 29, 2005

Ventura Sunset

Before I lived in Santa Barbara when we visited here this was one of our favorite stops on the way home. It is a nice beach in Ventura about 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara. At the beach end of this pier is a great Seafood restaurant called Eric Ericsons.

 
Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Sea Flower

The beaches in Santa Barbara are beautiful. And, if you time things just right when there is a really low tide you can see amazing things in the tide pools.

This is a Starburst Sea Anemone. And, contrary to the title of the image it is not a plant. It is actually a meat eating animal, a cousin of the Jellyfish.

The color however, is all plant (or mostly anyway). It comes from a symbiotic algae living in the translucent tissue of the animal and can range from blue-green, like this, to a much deeper green, or even near white if the animal lives in shade.

The rocks in the low tide around here can be covered with these. When they are in the air they fold their tentacles in and you can only see the outside which is covered with broken pieces of shell and rocks. So, if you are walking on the beach, and see a rock that seems to be covered with a bunch of broken shells, it is probably covered with Anemones just under the shells.

This picture is for my Mom. She has always loved tide pools and I have many great memories of wandering on the beach looking for exciting things at the edge of the water with her. Unfortunately, when she visited Santa Barbara, the tide was a little too high. Next time, we will check the tide charts first!

 
Friday, January 14, 2005

Droppin' in for Lunch

I like to feed the Sea Gulls at the beach. This guy was doing his Humming Bird impression.

 
Thursday, January 13, 2005

Hazy Day at the Beach

Well the rain has been crazy, and as I am writing this I have the news on to hear if we have to evacuate. Strange since we do not live very close to anything that you would think would be a problem. But, it seems there is a culvert in the mountains above here (by State Route 154). Well there was a mud/rock slide into the culvert that blocked it. Now there is a lake building up behind the man made berms on the side of what is left of the highway, and I would guess they are not really made to hold eight million gallons of water.

On the up side, the rainy days make for some interesting pictures. I have always loved taking pictures in odd lighting. Noon on a sunny day is the most boring time to take a picture.

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