Thursday, December 5, 2019
Shoreline Bluff Golden Hour

Just down from Shoreline Park in Santa Barbara is a beautiful beach. It's a fantastic spot for beach-combing, surfing or just relaxing in an area with less people. Of course, as with many spots around Santa Barbara it really shines as the day draws to a close. The golden light playing off the wet sand is just breathtaking especially this time of year when the sunset can line up so nicely with the beach.

Friday, August 14, 2015
Montecito Golden Hour

The perfect end to an absolutely beautiful day. Sometimes the mist in the air does such wonderful things with the light as the sun dips low it seems almost magical. This particular evening the clouds were looking beautiful, but the sun was a little hidden behind them. Still a nice day for a drive to the nurseries in Carpenteria. But as the sun started to peek below the clouds, the light passing through the low mist on the water turned the most amazing shades of yellow and orange. As vibrant and beautiful as any south pacific island sunset. It's subtle in the photo, but the crepuscular rays created by the shadows of the trees on the hills were a sight to see.

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!

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, August 11, 2013
Sunset in the Hills

Santa Barbara is well known for its beautiful beaches and for good reason. But over the years I've found that the locals identify more with my images of the hills and the wonderful hidden perches all around town where you can watch the suset or just enjoy an evening with nature even if you're not that far from downtown.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Carmel Mission Garden Sunset

The gardens at the Carmel Mission. The mission just underwent a major restoration and only recently shrugged off the massive scaffolding around the main sanctuary. It's looking even more beautiful than ever thanks to the dedicated people who are preserving this beautiful landmark!

Friday, March 15, 2013
Sunset at Shoreline Bluff

Yesterday we took a nice walk at Shoreline Park in the evening. We decided the best use of our daylight savings hour was to spend it on the beach, or at least overlooking it. It was a bit of a hazy evening, but I think most of it was sea spray, and it made for an amazing sunset!

Thursday, February 14, 2013
Misty Mountain

Every evening this time of year is a different work of art. This particular evening, the clouds were just lapping over the top of the mountains. As the golden light fell on them I knew just the place I wanted to take it all in. This is the view of the Santa Ynez Mountains over Laguna Blanca in Hope Ranch.

Sunday, December 30, 2012
Butterfly Beach Cypress Sunset

The evening I took this a few weeks ago, like many evenings, I took a walk along Butterfly Beach. But that night I was paying particular attention to this tree, one of my favorite spots along the walk. I had just spoken to someone who was looking for a special gift for someone who loves this tree as much as I do. Now I have quite a few shots already, but many of them use the amazing sweeping branches to frame other subjects, especially the sunset from the other side. Never one to shy away from the chance to look at a faviorite subject in a new light, I took it as a chance to spend some time wandering the beach with renewed inspiration for one of my favorite spots!

Friday, December 14, 2012
Temple Rays

Sunset from the front stairs of the Vednata Temple in Montecito. This little temple out in the hilss above Montecito has some of the best views anywhere. In the winter the sun sets in the area of the Santa Barbara Harbor and the wharf. But closer to the temple the beautiful grounds make for a very peaceful place to spend the evening.

Sunday, September 16, 2012
Haskells Golden Hour

Golden hour at Haskell's Beach. What a beautiful place to be.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Golden Hour at the Mission Cross

The wispy high clouds made the sun glow a beautiful golden color on the mountains and the side of the mission with a beautiful result.

Thursday, July 12, 2012
Vedanta Temple View

The view from the Vedanta Temple steps in Montecito during a particularly amazing sunset. From this spot you can clearly see the Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf in the distance. The evening this was taken the weather in the hills above Montecito was changing quickly and it looked like you could reach up and touch those clouds.

Monday, March 12, 2012
Montecito Hills Sunset

This is the view from the Montecito hills looking toward Santa Barbara. The evening I took this I had been exploring the nursuries in Carpenteria. On the way home it looked like the clouds were going to put on quite a show so we drove up into the hills to find a good spot. This is from the parkeing lot of the Vedanta Temple, a very fitting place to watch such a peaceful and beautiful scene.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunset at the Vedanta Temple Planet View

This is a beautiful spot in the Montecito hills, made even more beautiful by the amazing sunset. 360 degree photos allow for fun with different projections, this planet view (or stereographic) projection is one of the most fun.

Sunday, January 22, 2012
Laguna Blanca Mountain Panorama

About a week ago, I was looking for a good spot to enjoy the sunset. After driving around for a while, I noticed how beautiful the colors were on the mountains so I changed my focus a bit. With the sun setting behind me, I found the view was much more interesting in the other direction. This beautiful spot is Laguna Blanca, on the Golf Course in Hope Ranch.

Sunday, June 19, 2011
Cachuma Lake Sunset

Yesterday I had the good fortune to have the combination of a client who needed a good shot of Knapp's Castle and a wonderful "June Gloom" sunset. Our june fog always makes for the most amazing displays if you look for them. The fog itself is very beautiful especially when it is rolling in and out. But the sunsets can be spectacular. I actually thought I might not get much of an opp

Monday, May 17, 2010
Vedanta Temple Sunset Panorama

One of the many beautiful images I can credt to feedback from kind people around Santa Barbara who read one of the various sites (Santa Barbara View) I contribute to. I found out about this spot about a year ago and I have been there several times, but the evening I took this shot was the best by far. In fact it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.

If you have a spot around Santa Barbara County you would love to see I would love to hear about it. Just post it here or the main contact page on my site.

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Sunday, October 25, 2009
Camino Cielo Sunset Over Cachuma Lake

Sunset is one of the most beautiful things that happens every day. It's so hard to take the time to enjoy it. Most people think of the sun setting over the surf in California, and that is the case in most parts of the state. Our little section of the coast is a little different. We look south when we watch the waves break and this is the view from a trail at the top of our mountains. Just in front and to the right of the sun you can see Lake Cachuma, a man made lake which is a beautiful home to all sorts of amazing wild life including bald eagles. Someday soon I'm going to go catch one of them with my camera.

Thursday, September 24, 2009
Santa Barbara Historical Museum 360 Panorama

Some days you look for a nice lighting for the subject you are interested in. Then there are the days that the lighting itself is the real star of the show. Actually, most great shots are more about the lighting than the subject but not usually this literally or obviously.

Friday, August 14, 2009
Knapp's Castle 360 VR

This is one of the most beautiful spots I can think of in the Santa Barbara area. Knapp's Castle was a beautiful mansion in the early 1900's. But even the impressive construction from those days could not stand up to the wild fires we have in the mountains here. A few arches and stone walls are all that remains of the mansion. Fortunately the panoramic view of the Santa Ynez Valley is as breathtaking as ever.

Part of this image was on the photo of the day before, Storybook Castle Sunset. But I recently had a chance to work on the high resolution image again when I was working on my 2010 Santa Barbara Calendar. This is the September image. In the process I was also able to finish the whole 360° view.

Thursday, August 13, 2009
Butterfly Beach Sunset VR

Like I mentioned on yesterday's Photo of the Day, the sky was beautiful in every direction. Which of course is a perfect opportunity to take a 360° VR photo. The only problem is I did not have any kind of tripod or my normal tools. But the sky was too good to pass up so I gave it a try hand-held and I'm pretty happy with the results.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Butterfly Beach Sunset Contrails

This is another shot from Butterfly Beach taken on the same evening as the Butterfly Beach Golden Hour photo of the day with a MUCH wider lens. The sky was amazing in every direction, even long before the sunset.