Sunday, October 4, 2015
Endless Wonder

Every day is a work of art! Although the weather conditions can be similar and there are things I look for to give me hints where to stand with my camera, I never cease to be in awe of the individual beauty of each day. I can return to the same spot over and over, but there is always something new to see. This is from one of my favorite perches in the foothills overlooking the Santa Barbara Harbor, Stearns Wharf and Santa Cruz Island in the distance. This is the direction I like to face on a clear evening with high beautiful clouds like this. On an evening like this it's tempting to go somewhere and watch the sun set over the hills or at the beach. But when the conditions are right, the glow cast by that spectacular sunset can bathe everything in a wonderful new light. If you take the time to look around and not be distracted by the obvious show, sometimes you'll find something even more amazing. And if you can manage it, don't ever loose that sense of wonder, It makes every day amazing!

Sunday, July 12, 2015
Stearns Reflections

On one of our evening escapes from the heat recently I found myself wandering Stearns Wharf with my wife. The reflections on the water were particularly beautiful this evening (as was the company). It took a little creativity with the railing and a standpipe to do the view any justice without a tripod, but I'm pretty happy with this nice memory of a wonderful evening.

Sunday, June 21, 2015
Golden Hour Mountains

Golden hour walking on the Santa Barbara Harbor Breakwater looking toward Stearns Wharf and our beautiful mountains. I love catching the little starbursts of sunset reflected in the windows of the homes on the hill. This evening was particularly golden.

Sunday, March 15, 2015
Golden Hour Paddle

Evening on the Santa Barbara Harbor breakwater. The afternoon was a little more cloudy than expected, it gave us a nice break from yesterday's heat. But the sun still managed to peek under the clouds at the end of the day to bathe the city in golden light. I had the good fortune to spend the day exploring with my best friend, location scouting for beautiful spots for a new senic shot of the city. But in the end everything came together at one of our favorite locations. That's ok, we still found some good spots for another day when the light is different, and had a great time!

Thursday, December 25, 2014
Stearns Christmas Sunset

Stearns Wharf is a wonderful destination any time of year. If you're looking for a spot to get away from the warm summer temperatures or just a beautiful place to watch the boats go by while eating an ice-cream cone. But this time of year the amazing sunsets and the Christmas decorations make it even more beautiful.

Friday, July 25, 2014
Evening Over Stearns Wharf

A nice cool evening out on Stearns Wharf. This is one of my favorite times to be out on the wharf. Most of the shops have closed and the only people out are fishermen or the restaurant patrons heading back to their cars. Of course it's a little harder to get ice cream and candy at this time... but the parking is free!

Sunday, June 29, 2014
Santa Barbara City Lights

A nice long exposure just after sunset from the end of the breakwater. The tide was pretty high when I took this last week, so I came back from a nice evening walk on the breakwater a little soggy. But it was well worth it. I was not the only one crazy enough to brave the beautiful waves either. There were more than a few people trying to enjoy the view while running from dry spot to dry spot on the breakwater. I actually had fun trying to capture the breaking waves, but they seemed to take on a life of their own. Taunting me only when I turned my back. When I came close to the wall ready to snap my shot quickly then duck, they seemed to know I was stalking them. I actually got all the way out and most of the way back before they caught me off totally off guard. I guess the score is waves 1 - photographer 0, but there will be plenty of warm evenings this summer to give me the opportunity to even up the score.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Golden Hour from the Montecito Hills

Friday night was a wonderful night to be out enjoying our beautiful views. The sunset was absolutely amazing, but even before the clouds lit up with the colors of the sunset. As the sun slipped closer to the horizon the clouds seemed to swirl around it. leaving just enough space to watch it's descent and reflection on the ocean. In the center of the image you can just make out Stearns Wharf in the distance.

Sunday, January 19, 2014
Stearns Sunset from the Vedanta Temple

Last night's sunset overlooking Stearns Wharf and Santa Barbara from the grounds of the Vedanta Temple in Montecito. The sunsets have been a little less intense this year due to the lack of moisture in the air, but not last night. The beautiful colors in the sky seemed like they would just keep getting more and more intense. Another beautiful evening in Santa Barbara.

Friday, December 13, 2013
Christmastime at Stearns Wharf

Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara decorated for Christmas.

Friday, November 1, 2013
Marine Layer

Although nothing like closer to San Francisco in the north, Santa Barbara is a favorite hang out for something the weather man calls the "Marine Layer". It's basically a layer of air cooled quickly by the water making it much more dense than the warm air above. This cool layer has a tendency to slide into the coast as the sun is setting, bringing with it some beautiful swirling fog. Once in a while the effect is so pronounced that from the right vantage point you can see it rolling in like a beautiful blanket.

Thursday, October 31, 2013
Channel Islands Autumn Colors

We are fortunate enough to have some of the most beautiful views around regardless of the season or weather. But some of my favorite spots have a completely different feel this time of year, and standing in the exact same spot I can get a completely different picture from one I would take in the spring. Although the beautiful palm tree in the foreground doesn't give any hint to the season the way the fall leaves in New England would, we still enjoy amazing autumn colors of our own.

Friday, July 19, 2013
Santa Barbara Harbor From Above

I love to wander around the Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf with my camera. But sometimes you have to step back and get a little perspective. This is from the hills above Santa Barbara. On a beautiful evening recently I wandered the hills with a very long lens looking for a different view. This is one of my favorite shots from that adventure.

Friday, June 14, 2013
Dolphin Family Fountain

This beautiful fountain is at the base of Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara. The Dolphins were sculpted by local artist Bud Bottoms, who is also the creator of the very cool whale tail benches you might see around Santa Barbara from the Harbor to La Arcada Plaza. This evening the sunset was a perfect backdrop for the beautiful Santa Barbara landmark.

Friday, May 3, 2013
Windrose Sunset

Sunset on Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara is a wonderful experience. This day even more so than usual. This compass rose (or windrose) is out near the end of the wharf, past the buildings where there is nothing around you, not even railings to seperate you from the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Friday, April 5, 2013
Stearns Wharf Evening View

It's always a challenge to try to get a new angle on one of our local landmarks. Our beautiful city has been photographed so many times from just about every angle imagineable. But it's still possible to get a creative take on it if you do a little exploring and have some patience. It doesn't hurt to have a creative best friend location scouting for you while you cruise around the city on a beautiful evening.

Monday, February 18, 2013
Stearns Wharf from the Santa Barbara Hills

A unique perspective on Stearns Wharf from the Santa Barbara hills.

Saturday, January 5, 2013
Santa Barbara Twilight

This angle over the city is one of my favorite views of Santa Barbara. But I usually wait for just the right combination of weather and clear air to make the sky beautiful, and the islands sharp. Usually the islands are shrowded in mist at this time of the evening if there are good sunset clouds, and you can't truly appreciate how large they actually are since they just poke out of the fog with their bases hidden. After my last shot at this location I knew I wanted to focus on the harbor and the wharf when I returned. This evening everything finally fell into place to get the image I was looking for.

Sunday, October 21, 2012
Stearns Wharf Harbor Restaurant View

This view is from the end of the Sea Center section of Stearns Wharf. The Sea Center has it's own little wing, apart from the main section of the wharf. An area where you can escape the fray of the restaurants and shops and watch the people go by from a distance. And while you're there you can stop in and learn about the amazing world 20 feet below your feet too.

Saturday, October 20, 2012
Elevated Wharf View

One more elevated view of Stearns Wharf. I really liked this spot, but the wind was really picking up so it made me a little nervous to have the camera suspended high above the water. But I'll be back to this spot again in the near future.

Friday, October 19, 2012
Santa Barbara View from Stearns Wharf

Recently I had a request for a cover shot that showed a view of Santa Barbara from Stearns Wharf. I have quite a few Stearns Wharf shots but the client was looking for a daytime shot, and most of my wanderings on the Wharf have been in the evening. This was one of the first shots after I raised the camera in this spot, the sea gull was really interested in the camera. I think he was planning on landing on it. He only thought better of it at the very last second.

Thursday, October 18, 2012
Evening Wharf Wandering

One of my favorite views on Stearns Wharf. I'm looking through some older Wharf shots for a new project. This particular view comes up a lot. The meandering shape of the Wharf makes for a quite a few interesting compositions. If it were just a straight pier you wouldn't be able to get a good picture of it while you were standing on it.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Stearns Sunset Reflections

There's no better place to be at sunset than Stearns Wharf at the end of State Street in Santa Barbara. Great restaurants, souvineers and ice cream are all found out here. And they even have been known to film a movie or two out here.

Monday, October 15, 2012
Cabrillo Reflections

Cabrillo Boulevard along the waterfront in Santa Barbara has most of what people come to the city for. Beaches, restaurants, shopping and every sunday the Santa Barbara Art Walk.