Sunday, August 16, 2015
Milky Way Vista

This week was a great week for stargazing. In case you missed it, the Perseid meteor shower peaked on Wednesday. If you did miss it, don't feel bad. I love that sort of thing and I would have missed it if it weren't for running into a good friend at the beach while I was taking an evening walk with my wife. Fortunately we were all set up for taking photos of the stars anyway. We got a few nice meteor shots, (this NOT being one of them, that's just a passing jet in the sky) and saw even more really beautiful meteors. But I was, purely coincidentally looking to experiment with a wide enough view to capture more of the milky way. Although the meteors were amazing, this is more the image I was looking for and it just goes to show, you don't need to wait for the next meteor shower (October 8th, by the way) to find something absolutely amazing as close as the night sky.

Controls from left to right:
+ Zoom in;
- Zoom out;
change the way the view moves when you drag;
toggle full screen

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.

Sunday, September 14, 2014
Storke Tower Across the Lagoon Landscape

This view of Storke tower on the campus of UCSB is taken from the path around the lagoon by the residence halls. What an amazing view those halls must have.

Friday, August 22, 2014
Courthouse Anacapa Angle Square

A wide view of the Santa Barabara County Courthouse from Anacapa Street near Anapamu Street.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Santa Barbara County Courthouse Anacapa Panorama

A wide view of the Santa Barabara County Courthouse from Anacapa Street near Anapamu Street.

Friday, January 24, 2014
Golden Reflection

Reflecting on the last sunset of 2013. This was during a beach walk on New Years Eve. I love the sailboats anchored off the coast, they always make me ponder going down to the harbor and renting one for a day or two. This one was at the perfect location relative to the beautiful stretch of Butterfly Beach I found myself on to line up perfectly with the sun and cloud above. Perhaps before the sun sets on another year I'll get down to the harbor and get the perspective from out on the water.

Sunday, October 20, 2013
Butterfly Sunset Panorama

An amazing evening at Butterfly Beach. Some evenings the sunset just doesn't quit. This was one of those evenings. As the sun set the display was breathtaking, and every time it seemed like it was going to fade, a whole new deeper pallete of colors appeared. This was not only one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen, it had to be the longest.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Shipwrecked After Dark

If you have to be shipwrecked, this is a nice place to do it. Every so often a sailboat slips its mooring in the Santa Barbara area, and it seems more often than not they end up on Butterfly Beach.

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, July 12, 2013
Santa Barbara Bluff Sunset

This was one of those evenings that the sunset seemed to be long gone. But it was still a beautiful evening to enjoy a walk on the beach. As we wanderd down the beach the clouds on the horizon started to glow again even more beautiful than before.

Saturday, June 15, 2013
Santa Barbara Harbor Twilight

I love to look at the boats at the Santa Barbara Harbor, think about how much fun each one would be. I'm not the worlds expert on watercraft, but I know enough to spot the nice wood sailboats that are beautiful (but a lot of work), and the crusiers that look like they could almost be an appartment inside, and the beautiful racing boats. It seems like they must each have a story and they are just waiting for the next chance to go out and write another chapter. But in the evening like this they sway peacefully in their slips dreaming of the open water.

Sunday, May 26, 2013
Fog Over The Good Land

This angle is from the foothills just outside Santa Barbara. Overlooking the city of Goleta (our next-door neighbors, AKA "The Good Land"). The fog was rolling in quickly the night I took this. About ten minutes after this shot there were no discernible points of light. Well not on the ground anyway. The stars were still amazing! In fact you can just make aout some of the Milky Way in the left side of the photo.

Saturday, May 25, 2013
Evening Over Alice Keck Park

This is Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens, one of the most amazing spots right in the middle of downtown Santa Barbara. At one point they wanted to turn this piece of land into a very large condo development. Fortunately thanks to some dedicated people, we have a place only a couple blocks from our main city street, State Street where you can enjoy a retreat from the concrete and steel (or in our case the stucco and red tile roofs).

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Rose Garden Panorama Sunset

An amazing sunset at the Santa Barbara Mission rose garden. The Roses are in full bloom this time of year, it's a wonderful time to visit the Mission and wander around the grounds. If you have really good timing you can experience a spectacular spiring evening with amazing beauty in every direction.

Monday, May 13, 2013
Santa Barbara Courthouse Anapamu Garden

A panoramic view of one of the most beautiful buildings in Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The sunken garden in the center is used for a wide range of creative things throughout the year. It's an amazing spot right in the middle of the city.

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.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Montecito Sunset Panorama

This spot in Montecito on the walk by Butterfly Beach is one of my favorite spots to watch the sunset. The lights on the land to the right are in downtown Santa Barbara, on the left you can see the channel islands.

Monday, March 11, 2013
Mountain View Patio Evening

View of the Santa Ynez Mountains from the El Paseo building in Santa Barbara. A long exposure to bring out the evening lights of our beautiful city.

Saturday, March 9, 2013
El Paseo Evening View

View from the Paseo Nuevo building looking over Santa Barbara City Hall and De La Guerra Plaza.

Thursday, March 7, 2013
De La Guerra Plaza Panorama

View over De La Guerra Plaza next to the Santa Barbara City Hall.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Casa de la Guerra Panoramic View

A panoramic view from the top of Santa Barbara overlooking Casa de la Guerra.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Courthouse Sunken Garden Clouds

The sunken gardens at the Santa Barbara County Court House is the location of many community events and festivals. There are few places more recognizable as a local Santa Barbara landmark.