Thursday, December 12, 2019
Threadfin Butterfly

Beneth the beautiful blue waters of Sharks Cove on the North Shore of Oahu. This beauty is one of the many kinds of Butterfly fish that endlessly flutter around the rocks looking for snacks and the odd snorkeler to entertain. This guy was paricularly cooperative and curious and I very much enjoyed following him and sharing a few moments of his day.

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.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Beach Retriever

A Chocolate Lab playing on Butterfly Beach. As with most Labs this guy was tireless, he could have retrieved that ball all day. As long as I was there watching him he didn't slow down a bit, and it took a family of five to keep up with throwing the ball for him. Dogs are great!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Cypress Twilight

Last night at Butterfly Beach. One of the nice tradeoffs this time of year for our extremely early evenings are the fantastic sunsets. Of course you have to make sure you get out to see them. But even later in the evening after the sun is gone, the show can last for a surprisingly long time. You just have to slow down and take it all in (and being away from bright lights helps too). As the evening gets darker, the colors in the sky sometimes get richer and more purple. The sky can take on a completely different look well after the actual sunset seems like it has faded and the show can be just amazing!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Butterfly Rays

The sunlight streaming through the ocean mist always puts on a beautiful show. These humid days seem to have a head start, the mist from the waves lingers in the air even longer putting on a colorful show late into the evening.

Friday, August 7, 2015
Butterfly Bluff

A beautiful evening walk on Butterfly Beach. I love the last glow of the sunset. After the main show is over, and there is just a hint of color in the sky, everthing takes on a completely different feel. The same scene in the middle of the day is still beautiful, but the steep angle of the remaining light brings out the textures in the cliff and bathes everything in an amazing glow.

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, November 30, 2014
1000 Steps Sunset

A beautiful evening at 1000 Steps beach. The wonderful and colorful dance the sun does as it slips below the horizon is due to the large amount of the atmosphere the light rays travel through at the steep angle near the horizon. You probably already knew that, but did you know that the moment you see the sun touch the horizon on a day like this it has actually already set? The refraction of the atmosphere bends the light around the curvature of the earth so you actually see the image of the sun projected slightly higher than it actually is. The same thing happens in the morning. When you see the sun peek above the horizon the leading edge is still actually below the horizon by slightly more than the diameter of the sun. The results of this atmospheric refraction result in about six minutes more daylight than simple geometry would suggest, which are always welcomed especially this time of year!

Thursday, November 27, 2014
Cannery Row View

Happy Thanksgiving from Cannery Row, Monterey! Ahh the beach, just one of the many things to be thankful for. I hope your blessings are too many to count! Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 24, 2014
Gold Coast

Everyone enjoys the beautiful sunsets here in Santa Barbara. There are always Sandpipers and Seagulls on the beach seeming to watch the sunset with us. But this particular evening there was a comical crow playing chicken with the waves. Sometimes they seem to forget they can fly, and their comical gait makes for quite a show when they're enjoying the beach.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Butterfy Watch

These beautiful palm trees watch over Butterfly Beach in Montecito. They all seem to be trying to lean out to see the sunset around their friends. And who could blame them? What better place to spend the end of the day especially walking on the beach with your best friend.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014
I'd Rather Be

Would you rather be surfing? Fishing? (or even wandering on the beach with your camera) right now? I know I would! Well, something to look forward to... have a great day no matter where you are!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Carmel Cypress Silhouette

Speaking of windswept Cypress Trees (see my Poppy post from last week). This beauty and his friends stand watch along a particularly beautiful stretch of the California Coast on Carmel Beach. The hills in the distance between the beach and the setting sun are part of Pebble Beach. This is one of the areas I love to walk along at sunset whenever we find ourselves in the Monterey area. The beach is beautiful, and there is a nice path along the top of the bluff overlooking the beach. You can watch the surfers enjoying the water and take in the amazing view from a great perspective.

Saturday, March 1, 2014
Butterfly Beach Wedding

About a year ago I was out at one of my favorite spots to try out a new lens. This beautiful Cypress tree watches over all the weddings and dog walks, and people just enjoying this beautiful stretch of the California Coast called Butterfly Beach. And on this particular day, he just happened to be watching over a newlywed couple enjoying the first moments of their marriage down below on the beach. One of countless amazing moments this wonderful tree has witnessed I'm sure.

As for the lens, if you're interested. A while ago Canon replaced the 15mm fisheye that I love with a zoom lens. An 8mm-15mm fisheye. This circular picture is what results from the 8mm end on a full frame camera.

Thursday, February 27, 2014
Sunset Dog Run

Dogs always know how to have the most fun, especially at the beach. These guys were racing up and down the beach at Shoreline Park with seemingly infinite energy. Their people, like my wife and I, were more content to just take in the amazing beauty around us.

Sunday, November 24, 2013
Moonlit Bluff

Butterfly Beach lit only by the light of the full moon rising on the horizon and the faint fading glow of the sunset.

Saturday, November 16, 2013
Twilight Bluff

An early evening long exposure from Butterfly Beach. The glow in the distance is the reflection of the city lights on the evening marine layer, and the last light of the setting sun. This is about half an hour after sunset while there was still a little color in the sky. Of course these days a long exposure like this is 3.2 seconds. Once upon a time I would have been standing there for minutes with a stopwatch.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Venus Butterfly Twilight

Venus and the fading sunset colors over Butterfly Beach in Montecito California.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Shoreline Bluff

Just after sunset the colors are beautiful this time of year. This is looking east from Shoreline Park, one of the best places in town for a nice evening walk.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Santa Barbara Sunset

Another wonderful sunset from Butterfly Beach in Montecito

Friday, September 6, 2013
Moonlit Butterfly Beach

Buterfly Beach by the light of the full moon.

Sunday, September 1, 2013
Butterfly Sunset Glow

Late evening out on Butterfly Beach enjoying the last glow of the setting sun.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Carmel Cypress Sunset

An amazing evening on Carmel beach in Carmel by the Sea, California

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.