landscape – 67Steffen.com

Sierra Blue Haze

A current view of the Sierra Mountains comes with a blue haze as well as anxiety over the fire season. It’s only early July.

Iron Cacti

With water a precious, expensive commodity on the north coast, these three iron cacti stand watch over zero water maintenance landscape. No further explanation required.

I was standing at the edge of the Pacific Ocean when I took this shot of a woman walking by the Carmel River Lagoon. The point here is that the river and the ocean are close to each other and, in fact, the river empties into the ocean during the winter months. This photo wasContinue reading “Walking”

Mood Shot

I call this photo a “mood shot.” The ocean is calm. The sun, dropping through clouds, is putting on a 15-minute light show with the razor sharp boulders softened by the dispersed light. Location: Carmel Point.

The Big Sur Sky

Last weekend Big Sur was overrun with tourists unable to access major city beaches closed due to Covid-19. So, this is a pre-Covid photo that captures the colors of the sky above this coastal land made famous in books and movies and on postcards and the like. When the skies are clear, don’t leave untilContinue reading “The Big Sur Sky”

Second Chance Photography

One lesson I’ve learned in photography is not to rely on second chances. Took this shot of a valley near Cambria in Central California when Anne and I were driving lost. The colors were brilliant–wanted to spend more time composing the shot–but we were running late. Sure, we could always come back when I hadContinue reading “Second Chance Photography”

Morning at Point Lobos…

Yesterday was special for what was on camera as well as off. First, I took Ivan for a hike with my camera and tripod, hoping to capture the dynamics of the marine layer that has been hanging over Point Lobos in the early morning hours this week. I was prepared for Ivan to pull theContinue reading “Morning at Point Lobos…”

Social Distancing at the Beach

Yesterday, a couple practiced social distancing at Carmel River State Beach while watching calm ocean waters. This sloped beach has a strong undertow that makes it uninviting for families with small children. Also, the parking lot is small. A crooked mile away there were clusters of crowds at Carmel-by-the-Sea beach.

A Strip of Blue Sky…

A strip of blue sky on the horizon acting like a distant body of water is the highlight of this photo of a wildlife refuge in Oregon where it often looks like it’s going to rain–and it did shortly after I put the camera away.