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!

Friday, December 13, 2013
Christmastime at Stearns Wharf

Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara decorated for Christmas.

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, 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!

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.

Thursday, October 11, 2012
Sandpiper Sunset Over Haskells

A beautiful sunset over Haskell's beach from Sandpiper golf Course.

Friday, September 28, 2012
West Beach View from Stearns Wharf

Recently my wife and I spent an evening playing tourist when friends came into town. We took them out to Stearns Wharf for dinner and to watch the sunset. As we were walking back to our car I took the opportunity to get a few shots of the fading colors in the sky. When you live in a beautiful place like this it's a wonderful way to spend an evening seeing it through someone elses' eyes.

Sunday, September 23, 2012
Evening on Stearns Wharf

Recently my wife and I spent an evening playing tourist when friends came into town. We took them out to Stearns Wharf for dinner and to watch the sunset. As we were walking back to our car I took the opportunity to get a few shots of the fading colors in the sky. When you live in a beautiful place like this it's a wonderful way to spend an evening seeing it through someone elses' eyes.

Sunday, September 16, 2012
Haskells Golden Hour

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

Sunday, August 19, 2012
Whale's Eye View at the Wharf

Did you ever wonder if it was possible to have an aquarium so big you could keep a pet whale? It would seem I'm not the only one who ponders these things. This is the Ty Warner Sea Center on Stearns Wharf. They have created a wonderful place to learn about the ocean and its inhabitants, as well as a home with an amazing view for a beautiful whale.

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

Saturday, March 17, 2012
On the Goleta Pier at Sunset, Virtual Reality

The Goleta pier is a great place to watch the sunset. The sun sets right over UCSB this time of year and the veiw is spectacular! Especially on these days when we have a sunset that stretches to the other horizon.

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

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.

Monday, July 20, 2009
Stearns Wharf Sunset

Click the main image for a larger view.

Last Friday was a beautiful day to sit and watch the clouds. They really catch my attention this time of year since we usually don't have many of them. I took the opportunity to wander out on the wharf where I could get a wide open view of the evening sky. It was a perfect start for a relxing weekend!

Thursday, March 13, 2008
Stearns Sunset

I have learned to make the most of the clouds when they come out around here. during the summer we just have haziness and fog. Most of the rest of the year it's clear and blue. But as I have said so often on the photo of the day, the clear blue skies don't make for much of a sunset. But the evening I took this shot was just amazing! We almost did not go since we were getting out a little too late for the sunset. Turned out to be a better image with the stars in it anyway!

So now that I have the VR functionality down I thought I would take the time to fine tune the process. I created this image and recreated it from the 120+ individual shots that make it. This is my fourth complete revision, after trying out about ten different programs for different parts of the process. I can now confidently say there is no substitution for hard work. (I'm hearing my 7th grade english teacher in the back of my head asking me if the computer I did my homework on did the work for me when I pushed a single button) Maybe some day, but we're still not there yet. Quite to the contrary, with each new advance in computing power you just get more room to find a new level of creativity.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed making it!

Monday, December 3, 2007
Sunset Wharf Walk

The clouds in the distance are actually our "Marine Layer" (fog) that rolls in to the beach in the evening. It was a good night for a walk on the Wharf.

Thursday, November 24, 2005
Sunset Reflection

Well I tried to find a Turkey, but I guess a couple of sea gulls will have to do!

Happy Thanksgiving anyway!