California Naturescapes' recent photos

City By the Bay --- Fremont, California

2013-08-02T12:27:07-07:00

California Naturescapes
City By the Bay --- Fremont, California

"Mt. Tamalpais Sunset" Location: Mt. Tamalpais, California Map Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 21mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 4sec at f/14 and ISO 100 Filters: LEE 0.6 ( ...

2013-02-03T14:11:38-08:00

California Naturescapes
"Mt. Tamalpais Sunset"
Location: Mt. Tamalpais, California
Map

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 21mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 4sec at f/14 and ISO 100
Filters: LEE 0.6 (2-stop) and 0.9 (3-stop) stacked together + SinghRay 3-stop
Post Processing: Everything captured in single image and processed for shadows in LR

"Reflections: Last Sunset of 2012" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. Map Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS at 21mm Exposure ...

2013-08-02T14:15:25-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Reflections: Last Sunset of 2012"
Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California.
Map

Tech Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS at 21mm
Exposure: 0.8sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: A 3-stop (0.9) and a 2-stop (0.6) LEE Graduated ND Filters stacked together
Post Processing: Minimal post processing needed for this shot. Everything captured in single exposure.

"Hanalei Beach" Location: Hanalei Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii. Map Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS at 26mm Exposure: 1.6sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: ...

2013-08-02T22:46:23-07:00

California Naturescapes

"Hanalei Beach"
Location: Hanalei Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii.
Map

Tech Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS at 26mm
Exposure: 1.6sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grad 3-stop (0.9)

"Hanalei Pier at Dawn" Location: Hanalei, Kauai Island, Hawaii. Map Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Lens: Canon 17-40mm f/4L IS at 40mm Exposure: 1/4sec at f/10 and ISO 400 Filters: ...

2013-08-02T22:46:25-07:00

California Naturescapes

"Hanalei Pier at Dawn"
Location: Hanalei, Kauai Island, Hawaii.
Map

Tech Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon 17-40mm f/4L IS at 40mm
Exposure: 1/4sec at f/10 and ISO 400
Filters: LEE 3-stop graduated ND filter

"Passing Storm" Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii Map Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L at 40mm Exposure: 0.8sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: 3-stop LEE ND Gr ...

2013-08-02T22:46:44-07:00

California Naturescapes

"Passing Storm"
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Map

Tech Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L at 40mm
Exposure: 0.8sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: 3-stop LEE ND Grad

"Hanalei Pier" Location: Hanalei Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii. Map Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS at 40mm Exposure: 6sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: Hoy ...

2013-08-02T22:47:35-07:00

California Naturescapes

"Hanalei Pier"
Location: Hanalei Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii.
Map

Tech Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS at 40mm
Exposure: 6sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya 4-stop solid ND filter

"Hanalei Pier at Dawn" Location: Hanalei, Kauai Island, Hawaii. Map Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Lens: Canon 17-40mm f/4L IS at 40mm Exposure: 20sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: L ...

2013-08-02T22:46:23-07:00

California Naturescapes

"Hanalei Pier at Dawn"
Location: Hanalei, Kauai Island, Hawaii.
Map

Tech Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon 17-40mm f/4L IS at 40mm
Exposure: 20sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE 3-stop graduated ND filter

"Undulating hills and Oaks of California Landscape" Location: Joseph D Grant County Park, California. GPS: 37°20'4" N 121°41'56" W Just after the rains, when the colors were deep, a ...

2013-08-02T12:31:01-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Undulating hills and Oaks of California Landscape"
Location: Joseph D Grant County Park, California.
GPS: 37°20'4" N 121°41'56" W

Just after the rains, when the colors were deep, air was fresh and clouds were dramatic I realized it would be difficult to catch this moment again. So I stopped and made this image by the roadside.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @50mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0.5sec at f/13 and ISO 200
Filters: LEE ND Grads to balance the light of the sky and foreground

Note on processing:
I processed this image in Adobe Lightroom 4. These days I find myself using digital graduated filters a lot. I experiment with tonal changes, color contrasts and even color temperature changes to obtain a look of the image that resembles with how I remembered this place. But essentially the processing involved exposure balancing in all areas of the image, saturation changes, and local dodging and burning.

"Supermoon of May 2012" Location: Two different locations... photos merged. The supermoon of May 2012 was greeted with many enthusiastic photographers who took excellent pictures of the su ...

2013-08-02T22:52:22-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Supermoon of May 2012"
Location: Two different locations... photos merged.

The supermoon of May 2012 was greeted with many enthusiastic photographers who took excellent pictures of the superbright, supersized moon against famous landmarks.

For me, going to remote location was out of questions, so I simply hoped to see the rising moon outside my home. Fortunately I had the view of the moon as it was rising up at the horizon. I made a few shots and decided to blend it with one of my older images shot at Seattle.

This image of Seattle skyline is one of my favorites. I shot it from top of space needle on a clear night. The sharpness of the lines, light on the buildings and clarity was in favor of the image, but I always felt that a moon in the sky would have been nice.

So I finally saw the opportunity to combine these two images. I usually don't combine images, but this one came out nice... hence posting it.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS at 85mm for skyline, 200mm for the moon
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 120sec at f/16 and ISO 50 for the skyline, 0.3sec at f/13 and ISO 100 for the moon.
Filters: No filters
Post Processing: Images combined in PhotoShop CS6.

"Supercell Over Pescadero" Location: Pescadero State Beach, California. [GPS/Map] Raingods decided to show their awesome power and pour over little coastal dwelling of Pescadero. As I was ...

2013-08-02T19:42:53-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Supercell Over Pescadero"
Location: Pescadero State Beach, California. [GPS/Map]

Raingods decided to show their awesome power and pour over little coastal dwelling of Pescadero. As I was busy shooting sunset looking the other way, I almost missed the color and drama taking place behind me. I ran over to find a good spot and captured the action just in time.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 22mm
Camera: Canon 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1.6sec at f/13 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge ND grad + SinghRay 3-stop reverse ND grad hard edge stacked together
Processing: Minimal processing in Adobe Lightroom 4. This image, like almost all images on this wesbite was made as single exposure w/o any multiple image composite techniques such as HDR. It's more difficult and therefore rewarding to obtain all elements of an image perfect in one single shot!

"Colorful Pebbles" Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo, California. [GPS/Map] Pebble Beach is fascinating for it's interesting rock formation, but people often fail to notice the little colo ...

2013-08-02T16:51:47-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Colorful Pebbles"
Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo, California. [GPS/Map]

Pebble Beach is fascinating for it's interesting rock formation, but people often fail to notice the little colorful pebbles after which the beach is aptly named.

I used a macro lens to zoom onto these little gems. It's too bad you are not allowed to bring these home.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS Macro
Camera: Canon 5D Mk II
Exposure: 8sec at f/29 and ISO 320
Filters: B+W Circular Polarizer to extentuate the colors and minimize water reflection

"Badlands of Pescadero" Location: Pescadero State Beach, California. [GPS/Map] This image has been many years in the making. Believe it or not, I have been to this particular spot a countl ...

2013-08-02T19:44:30-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Badlands of Pescadero"
Location: Pescadero State Beach, California. [GPS/Map]

This image has been many years in the making. Believe it or not, I have been to this particular spot a countless times but never witnessed a sunset like this one.

The eroding patterns on the coastline are unique here. The ground below feels just like compacted sand to me and every rainstorm take a little bit away slowly creating these watershed pattern.

The erosion here can be quite fast and the landscape looks different to me every year I visit. So visit soon if you can... it's incredible as is to watch the sunset on Pacific coast but it can be even more amazing to watch it from the coastline of Pescadero state beach.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L @ 25mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0.6sec at f/13 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE 0.9 (3-stop) ND Grad + SinghRay 3-stop Reverse ND Grad
Processng: All processing wass done in Lightroom 4. The sky gets bit more warm color temperature. The foreground gets bit more exposure... that's pretty much it other than dust removal, sharpening and noise reduction. Enjoy!

"The Arch" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. [Map/GPS] Here is my first picture of the Natural Bridges State Beach that was shot this year. I have made several ...

2013-08-02T15:57:44-07:00

California Naturescapes
"The Arch"
Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. [Map/GPS]

Here is my first picture of the Natural Bridges State Beach that was shot this year. I have made several images of this iconic arch and each of those has been challenging to pull off.

Today was no different. I setup my camera and waited for the good light but too many people were walking in front of the camera. After about 10 minutes of waiting I finally got a good view of the arch. The sunset was happening at the same time and colors were just perfect.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L at 19mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0, +1 and +2EV for a manual HDR image.
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.6 (2-stop) and 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge filters rotated slightly to cover sky on the right side

Post Processing: Manual HDR is essentially manually blending multiple images to obtain desired tonality and dynamic range in an image. It is fairly easy to do in PhotoShop.

"Valley of Enchantment" Location: Valley View, Yosemite National Park, California. Yosemite is arguably the most beautiful national park in the world. I feel very privileged that I s ...

2013-08-02T13:52:12-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Valley of Enchantment"
Location: Valley View, Yosemite National Park, California.

Yosemite is arguably the most beautiful national park in the world. I feel very privileged that I stay close to Yosemite and can visit it anytime with a couple of hours drive. The proximity to the park has allowed me to visit it practically in every season. The view captured here is during spring season when the water in the Merced river is high and rapids are in full force. Spring is also the season of waterfalls and you can see that the Bridalveil falls on the right and Ribbontail falls on the left are also flowing at their peak. The waterfalls reach their peak flow due of all the snowmelt at higher elevation.

The beauty in the valley does not end with flows in Merced river and waterfalls alone. The meadows start turning green and bring out a lush green color in the park that is in very good contrast with the warm tones of the granite peaks during evening hours. And when all of this is combined with presence of some clouds in the sky and penetrating light through the pockets in those clouds, you can get very dramatic views in the valley. I happened to catch all of these on the day I shot this image. Though I am very happy with how the image turned out I can't forget that seeing this beauty in person was an altogether different experience. I am glad I could bring back some of that in this image.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 24mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1.6sec at f/14 and ISO 100
Filters: Hoya 8-stop solid ND filter along with LEE 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge ND Grad filter

"Bridal Veil Falls: A Spring Evening" Location: Valley View, Yosemite National Park, California. Here is the view of the bridal veil falls lit by the late afternoon sun. It is amazin ...

2013-08-02T12:26:57-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Bridal Veil Falls: A Spring Evening"
Location: Valley View, Yosemite National Park, California.

Here is the view of the bridal veil falls lit by the late afternoon sun. It is amazing to me how many different views of this location I have witnessed over the years. Changing lighting conditions, seasons, snow, rain storms, clouds all play a key role in emphasizing the beauty of this location.

This view was captured on a spring afternoon prior to arrival of a rain storm. Without clouds not just the sky would have been empty but also there would have been no penetrating light on the granite walls. It's a rare moment that I was very happy to capture!

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 3.2sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya 8-stop solid ND filter to allow long exposure of 3.2sec. LEE 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge ND grad filter to balance exposure of sky with the foreground.

"Evening Light on Bridalveil Falls" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Mid May light of late afternoon falls directly on the walls of Yosemite illuminating them in warm hues ...

2013-08-02T15:23:00-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Evening Light on Bridalveil Falls"
Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

Mid May light of late afternoon falls directly on the walls of Yosemite illuminating them in warm hues.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @200mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1.3sec at f/16 and ISO 200
Filters: Hoya 8-stop solid ND filter to cut light and allow long exposure

This is a stich from five horizontal shots to obtain even exposure during changing lighting conditions.

"Yosemite Falls in Spring" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Spring in Yosemite is beautiful. The waterfalls are at their peak flow, greenary is all around, temperatures ar ...

2013-08-02T13:00:47-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Yosemite Falls in Spring"
Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

Spring in Yosemite is beautiful. The waterfalls are at their peak flow, greenary is all around, temperatures are very comfortable and little ponds in the meadows add to the scenary.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 23mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 2sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya 8 stop solid ND filter to allow 2sec exposure. LEE 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge ND Grad filter to balance exposure of the sky with foreground.

"Upper Yosemite Falls and Half Dome" Location: Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite National Park, California. Yosemite falls are so tall that often a direct picture fails to convey th ...

2013-08-02T12:26:56-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Upper Yosemite Falls and Half Dome"
Location: Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite National Park, California.

Yosemite falls are so tall that often a direct picture fails to convey that to the viewer. I felt this composition provided more emphasis on the grandeur of these falls especially since the image included view of another Yosemite icon, Half dome.

This image was shot half way through the hike on upper Yosemite falls tail. As you start climbing more of the sweeping views of the Yosemite valley can be seen. I hiked all the way up to the top of the falls but realized that the spot from where I shot this image was the best vista point on the entire trail. The view of the falls itself is very captivating but you can also see other prominent features of the valley from here such as iconic Half dome.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 30mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 20sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya 8-stop solid ND filter to cut light and allow long exposure. Two graduated neutral density filters stacked together: LEE 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge and LEE 0.75 hard edge rotated at 2 o'clock position.

"Upper Yosemite Falls - Spring Flow" Location: Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite National Park, California. Spring in Yosemite is the best time to experience waterfalls. This year, ...

2013-08-02T12:58:12-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Upper Yosemite Falls - Spring Flow"
Location: Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite National Park, California.

Spring in Yosemite is the best time to experience waterfalls. This year, in particular, the waterfalls are roaring and I did not want to miss an opportunity to capture some of the action.

This view of the upper Yosemite falls can only be seen halfway through the hike on the tail that goes all the way up to the top of the falls. Even though I liked this image very much I have to say that there is nothing like hiking on this trail in person and enjoying the thundering roar of the waterfall and getting sprayed on by the mist. Also needless to say the view of the falls from the ledge on the top offers a unique perspective on how tall these falls are.

After hiking all the way up I realized that the best unobstructed views of the falls were from a spot which was about halfway through the hike. The evening light offered interesting orange colors on the rock face and deep blues in the sky are typical for this time of the year. This is a long exposure image since I wanted to soften the flow of the water and highlight on the sheer vertical length of the falls.

I highly recommend hiking on this trail especially in spring and if you start your hike at noon you enjoy the sunset views on your way back.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 20sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya 8 stop solid ND filter to cut light and allow long exposure. LEE 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge ND Grad filter stacked with another LEE 0.75 hard edge ND Grad filter to balance exposure of the sky with the rock.

"Majestic El Cap and Mighty Merced" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. The grandeur of Yosemite valley is best seen from spots that are hidden away along the curves of Merce ...

2013-08-02T13:00:39-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Majestic El Cap and Mighty Merced"
Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

The grandeur of Yosemite valley is best seen from spots that are hidden away along the curves of Merced river. The view is particularly appealing when major landmarks in the valley, such as El Capitan in this case, can also be seen. It was not just the view but also the photographic process that I enjoyed at this location. It was dull gray and raining when I arrived at this spot. Then it started clearing and El Cap appeared out of fog in it's full glory.

This is a scene in the valley during spring season when when the Merced river is at it's peak flow and there is a good chance to see fog and clouds shrouding the granite peaks. In this particular image I also liked spots of penetrating light on the pine trees. As the storm was clearing in the sky, pockets of openings were creating interesting displays of light. I made several images but likes this one very much.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L @ 28mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0.3sec at f/16gg and ISO 50
Filters: LEE 0.6 (2-stop) and 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge ND Graduated filters

"Majestic El Cap and Mighty Merced (Portrait Version)" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. The grandeur of Yosemite valley is best seen from spots that are hidden away along ...

2013-08-02T13:00:41-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Majestic El Cap and Mighty Merced (Portrait Version)"
Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L @ 45mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/4sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE 0.6 (2-stop) and 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge ND Graduated filters

"Under an Oak Tree" Location: Cascade Creek (The Cascades), Yosemite National Park, California. Oak trees are great! Sitting underneath their canopy usually brings to mind the thoughts ...

2013-08-02T15:56:56-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Under an Oak Tree"
Location: Cascade Creek (The Cascades), Yosemite National Park, California.

Oak trees are great! Sitting underneath their canopy usually brings to mind the thoughts of reading a book or simply taking a pause during a hectic workday. So when I saw this oak trees with cascade creek flowing besides it I could not resist taking a picture. Needless to say even after I was done photographing I spent few minutes enjoying these peaceful surroundings with gentle sounds of Cascade creek.

Cascade creek and it's waterfall are one of the first waterfall you may see at Yosemite if you enter through highway 140. The creek is usually just a trickle during winter months but comes to life during spring and early summer months. I plan to visit this area again in next few years and try to capture the beauty of the Cascade creek waterfall as well.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 20mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 8sec at f/13 and ISO 200
Filters: Hoya 4-stop solid ND filter

"Giant Cathedral Rocks" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. One of the experiences of Yosemite National Park that I like to capture is how it feel to stand in awe of these gian ...

2013-08-02T15:59:46-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Giant Cathedral Rocks" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. One of the experiences of Yosemite National Park that I like to capture is how it feel to stand in awe of these giant granite peaks rising abruptly and almost vertically from the ground. These are giant cathedral rocks in the morning light after a light dusting of snow the previous night. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 25mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 0.3sec at f/16 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE 0.9 (3-stop) soft edge graduated ND filter and LEE .75 hard edge upside down to control overexposure of the snow on the foreground. Post Processing: The most important step in this image was the lens distortion correction using PhotoShop CS4. Without this correction the peaks won't appear vertical enough.

"Lower Yosemite Falls - Spring Flow" Location: Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California. Spring in Yosemite arrives with a thundering roar of the giant waterfalls. As t ...

2013-08-02T13:57:18-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Lower Yosemite Falls - Spring Flow"
Location: Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California.

Spring in Yosemite arrives with a thundering roar of the giant waterfalls. As the snow begins to melt the valley comes back to life.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/6sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya 4 stop solid ND filter and LEE .6 (2-stop) soft edge graduated neutral density filter

Post processing: Bringup of details in shadow areas, selective exposure and saturation adjustment, all in Adobe LightRoom 3

"Upper Yosemite Falls" Location: Swinging Bridge, Yosemite National Park, California. Yosemite falls are some of the word's tallest. Here you see upper Yosemite falls during early mornin ...

2013-08-02T13:50:18-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Upper Yosemite Falls" Location: Swinging Bridge, Yosemite National Park, California. Yosemite falls are some of the word's tallest. Here you see upper Yosemite falls during early morning hours on a spring day. A snow storm of previous day had ladden the trees with interesting outline which was starting to melt as I shot this image. The merced river flowed gently and I decided to use long exposure to show all the reflections. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 55mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 2+min at f/14 and ISO 100 Filters: LEE 10-stop Big Stopper ND Filter and LEE 0.6 (2-stop) soft edge graduated neutral density filter

"Call of the Valley" Location: Valley View Visa Point, Yosemite National Park, California. This is a very special image I have ever captured. I decided to name it Call of the Valley af ...

2013-08-02T12:27:44-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Call of the Valley"
Location: Valley View Visa Point, Yosemite National Park, California.

This is a very special image I have ever captured. I decided to name it Call of the Valley after a musical piece that I used to listen to back home in India. The classical instrumental piece portrayed life in the beautiful Kashmir valley in the Himalayas. This visit of mine to Yosemite made me feel that way. It was so silent at this spot that all I could hear was the gentle flow of the merced river. Usually this vista point is crowded with visitors, but since it had been snowing all day the valley was very quiet.

The image shows merced river, snow covered trees and fog shrouded El Capitan.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 42mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 5sec at f/18 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE .6 (2-stop) soft edge graduated neutral density filter.

"Bridalveil Falls in Spring" Location: Valley View Visa Point, Yosemite National Park, California. I guess it is great to be in Yosemite at any time of the year and I believe I have be ...

2013-08-02T12:26:07-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Bridalveil Falls in Spring"
Location: Valley View Visa Point, Yosemite National Park, California.

I guess it is great to be in Yosemite at any time of the year and I believe I have been here in each season at least once. But when I witness great lighting conditions in the valley the visit is just that much more memorable. Here is the view of the famous bridalveil falls when dense storm clouds were rolling in with pockets of opening in them. Through these openings late afternoon light momenterily illuminated the falls and created very appealing contasts in the scene.

Characteristic of the spring season the waterfall was near it's peak and there is still some snow on the higher elevations. The meadow is just beginning to thaw and will turn lush green in few weeks. However, the storm clouds will be all but gone by that time.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 31mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1.3sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya 8 stop solid ND filter to allow long exposure. LEE .6 (2-stop) soft edge graduated ND filter.

"Fog in the Valley" Location: Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, California. It is often difficult to do justice to the grandeur of Yosemite in an image. If you have been to Yosemite ...

2013-08-02T12:25:59-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Fog in the Valley"
Location: Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, California.

It is often difficult to do justice to the grandeur of Yosemite in an image. If you have been to Yosemite you will probably recognize this classic view from Tunnel View vista point. Typically on a clear day most of the valley including El Capitan and Half Dome can be seen from this spot. See image in the thumbnail below for a sweeping view of the valley from this location during sunset.

So when I arrived here on this foggy day I was greeted with a view I had never seen before. The fog had engulfed most of the valley behind Bridalveil falls. Moreover there were storm clouds behind me with pockets of opening allowing sunlight to pour through on the pine trees. The fog was moving fast but since the valley is several miles deep it gave me just enough time to capture this image and marvel at the grandeur of the valley.

Soon after I shot the image the storm clouds got dense and fog also moved forward hiding everything. So here is that transient moment of beauty in the Yosemite valley.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 2min at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE Big Stopper 10 stop ND filter, LEE 0.6 (2-stop) soft graduated ND filter

"Destination Nowhere - II" Location: Seacliff State Beach, Aptos / Santa Cruz Area, California. This is the wreckage of SS Palo Alto aka Concrete ship. Read a bit of info about this sh ...

2013-08-02T14:26:35-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Destination Nowhere - II"
Location: Seacliff State Beach, Aptos / Santa Cruz Area, California.

This is the wreckage of SS Palo Alto aka Concrete ship. Read a bit of info about this ship at Wikipedia.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 300sec at f/13 and ISO 200
Filter: LEE Big Stopper 10 stop ND filter and a LEE ND Grad 0.9 soft edge

"Destination Nowhere" Location: Seacliff State Beach, Aptos / Santa Cruz Area, California. This is the wreckage of SS Palo Alto aka Concrete ship. Read a bit of info about this ship at W ...

2013-08-02T14:24:55-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Destination Nowhere" Location: Seacliff State Beach, Aptos / Santa Cruz Area, California. This is the wreckage of SS Palo Alto aka Concrete ship. Read a bit of info about this ship at Wikipedia. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 140sec at f/16 and ISO 100 Filter: LEE Big Stopper 10 stop ND filter and a LEE ND Grad 0.9 soft edge

"Lone Oak" Location: Lexington Reservoir, Los Gatos, California. I am always on the hunt for lone oak trees. There is something very captivating about them photographically. Mostly I i ...

2013-08-02T12:28:01-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Lone Oak"
Location: Lexington Reservoir, Los Gatos, California.

I am always on the hunt for lone oak trees. There is something very captivating about them photographically. Mostly I imagine these oak trees on the rolling hills of northern California, but when I saw this oak trees submurged in water and without it's leaves I felt the contrast very appealing. Here is this oak tree that seemingly appears devoid of life even though there is plenty of water to nourish it.

Anyhow, the story is that this year has been very wet in California with significantly above average rainfall. This has caused water levels in reservoirs to rise to levels not seen in several years. So what used to be a hiking trail around this oak tree is now submurged under water. So I was glad to take this opportunity and photograph this oak tree using long exposure to smooth out the ripples and give a minimalist composition.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 70sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: Lots of solid ND filters to cut down light for long exposure and LEE ND Grad 0.9 soft edge

"Garrapata Sea Stacks" Location: Garrapata State Park, North Big Sur, California. There is always so much action at this location that it is easy to get overwhelmed by crashing waves, be ...

2012-09-14T15:55:48-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Garrapata Sea Stacks" Location: Garrapata State Park, North Big Sur, California. There is always so much action at this location that it is easy to get overwhelmed by crashing waves, beautiful sea stacks, rugged coastline and the beauty in the intricate arrangement of foreground rocks. So I decided to do a long exposure image as a final shot for the day before heading back home. As is often the case, a long exposure image "erases" the short term events and brings out the constant features of the landscapes. In this case the constant feature were these sea stacks, which had escaped my photographic attempts for a long time due to challenging lighting conditions. So finally I got a chance to make this image I had dreamt of for a long time. Hope you enjoyed it too. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 31mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1min at f/13 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grad 0.6 soft edge + Singh Ray Vari ND set at about 8 stops

"Crashing Waves and Seastacks" Location: Garrapata State Park, South of Monterey-Carmel, California. Wave action at Garrapata is always a fun subject to shoot. I can never get tired of i ...

2012-09-14T15:20:04-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Crashing Waves and Seastacks" Location: Garrapata State Park, South of Monterey-Carmel, California. Wave action at Garrapata is always a fun subject to shoot. I can never get tired of it, especially on a day like this, when these large waves were crashing few feet away from my camera and splashing water on the lens. Every now and then I would have to back off and spend time cleaning water drops on the lens... it was quite a challenge but I enjoyed it very much. During one hit and run episode I managed to drop my expensive LEE graduated ND filter on these rocks and that was the end of that filter. So this image is dedicated to that filter which served for so well for so many years and gave me some very image images :) Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 27mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/5sec at f/13 and ISO 100 Filters: LEE ND Grad 0.6 soft edge

"Rugged California Coastline" Location: Garrapata State Park, Big Sur, California. This image has been four years in the making and I really liked how it finally turned out. The bigges ...

2012-09-14T15:00:28-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Rugged California Coastline"
Location: Garrapata State Park, Big Sur, California.

This image has been four years in the making and I really liked how it finally turned out. The biggest challenge to photograph at this spot is to get a good light on the sea stacks during sunset. The evening was turning out to be great and I was able to make this image of the famous sea stacks at Garrapata State Park.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 37mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0.4sec at f/11 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grad 0.9 soft edge

"Seagulls on the Seashore" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. This was one of the best visits I have had while attempting to shoot this natural arch. The li ...

2013-08-02T15:58:53-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Seagulls on the Seashore"
Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California.

This was one of the best visits I have had while attempting to shoot this natural arch. The light was great, receding waves made great patterns and clouds lit up during sunset.

This is a view looking at the bridge formation along it's length. The gap in the image used to be another natural bridge which collapsed a few decades ago. I believe you can still see images from that era at the visitor center.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 20mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1.6sec at f/20 and ISO 100
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 soft edge
Post Processing: Key step was to bring out details in the shadows. I did that using Lightroom "Fill light" slider.

"Towards Eternity" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. This was one of the best visits I have had while attempting to shoot this natural arch. The light was gr ...

2013-08-02T15:58:44-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Towards Eternity" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. This was one of the best visits I have had while attempting to shoot this natural arch. The light was great, receding waves made great patterns and clouds lit up during sunset. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 20mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1.6sec at f/13 and ISO 100 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 soft edge and 0.75 hard edge stacked together + Hoya 4 stop solid ND Grad to reduce light intensity Post Processing: Key step was to bring out details in the shadows. I did that using Lightroom "Fill light" slider.

"Rugged California Coast" Location: Soberanes Canyon, Garrapata State Park, California. One of the best places to view rugged coastline of California is at the Garrapata State Park, wh ...

2012-09-14T18:30:42-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Rugged California Coast"
Location: Soberanes Canyon, Garrapata State Park, California.

One of the best places to view rugged coastline of California is at the Garrapata State Park, which is located south of the city of Carmel. Garrapata state park is more widely known among landscape photographers for it's two famous sea stacks, which, in this picture, are hidden behind the arch.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 36mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 63sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grad Filters 0.9 and 0.6 stacked together

"Pigeon Point Lighthouse: A Rainy Day" Location: Pigeon Point Lighthouse, San Mateo, California. After making several attempts to capture this view here is the one I am quite happy with. ...

2013-08-02T22:45:24-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Pigeon Point Lighthouse: A Rainy Day" Location: Pigeon Point Lighthouse, San Mateo, California. After making several attempts to capture this view here is the one I am quite happy with. Do let me know what you think? Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 31mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 15sec at f/16 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge, stacked together

"Five Deer and One Eagle" Location: Livermore Hills, Fremont/Livermore, California. An early spring scene here in Bay Area... the grass is so lush and green at this time of the year. T ...

2013-08-02T12:27:01-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Five Deer and One Eagle"
Location: Livermore Hills, Fremont/Livermore, California.

An early spring scene here in Bay Area... the grass is so lush and green at this time of the year. The fact that within few weeks it may turn dry in absence of rains, makes it even more appealing. The oak trees are just about to sprout leaves and I find them best to photograph during this season.

However, this visit was special. I saw a herd of deer and an eagle on the oak tree enjoying this landscape along with me. Try to locate the eagle, it is sitting on a branch of the oak tree on the right!

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 200mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: f/13sec and f/11 and ISO 160
Filters: No filters

"Rolling Hills" Location: Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Fremont, California. Mission Peak is a popular local hike in the bay area. I was told that up to 4000 people hike this mountain ...

2013-08-02T12:28:01-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Rolling Hills" Location: Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Fremont, California. Mission Peak is a popular local hike in the bay area. I was told that up to 4000 people hike this mountain over a typical weekend. Probably it is just the right balance between hike's difficulty level and it's proximity to the city makes it so popular. What I like about it is not just that it is a good exercise but also that it provides me with ample photographic opportunities. This is the view on the west side of the hill during a stormy day. The clouds had occassional breaks providing me with some awesome displays of the light on these beautiful rolling hills. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/400sec at f/8 and ISO 100 handheld No filters and bit of LR processing including Grad ND filters

"Lichen Study" Location: Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Fremont, California. Such petal shaped lichens are abundant on the rocks at Mission Peak. Late winter and early spring are some o ...

2013-08-02T12:28:05-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Lichen Study" Location: Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Fremont, California. Such petal shaped lichens are abundant on the rocks at Mission Peak. Late winter and early spring are some of the best times to hike up to the top and find such subjects to shoot. These lichens paint the rocks in vibrant hues of orange, green and yellow. These organisms are truly amazing because they not just grow on the bare rocks but also feed off it. Needless to say photographic opportunities are endless with these lichens, so I will be visiting here again for sure. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS Macro Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/100 sec at f/16 and ISO 2000

"Starfish under the Pier" Location: Crissy Field, San Francisco, California.

2013-08-02T22:51:44-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Starfish under the Pier" Location: Crissy Field, San Francisco, California.

"Painted Ladies" Location: Alamo Square, San Francisco, California. Photographing San Francisco is never complete without capturing an image of these victorian style homes, called as p ...

2013-08-02T22:51:32-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Painted Ladies"
Location: Alamo Square, San Francisco, California.

Photographing San Francisco is never complete without capturing an image of these victorian style homes, called as painted ladies.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 97mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 93sec at f/18 at ISO 50
Filters: No filters

"Golden Gate: A Stormy Day" Location: Crissy Field, San Francisco, California. Stormy days are often the best to venture out for photography. This day was no exception and I headed to ...

2013-08-02T22:47:20-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Golden Gate: A Stormy Day"
Location: Crissy Field, San Francisco, California.

Stormy days are often the best to venture out for photography. This day was no exception and I headed to my favorite spot in San Francisco at Crissy Field to shoot Golden Gate bridge in the early morning light. There was a break in the clouds behind me which allowed sun to shine through and lit up the bridge momentarily. The backdrop of dark storm clouds further added to the contrast of the scene. I enjoyed being here for this moment.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/4sec at f/11 and ISO 400
Filters: LEE ND Grad 0.9

"Daybreak at Sausalito" Location: Sausalito Waterfront Area, San Francisco, California. I was very happy to finally capture this image. This has been on my mind for such a long time an ...

2013-08-02T22:58:25-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Daybreak at Sausalito"
Location: Sausalito Waterfront Area, San Francisco, California.

I was very happy to finally capture this image. This has been on my mind for such a long time and I did visit this place a few times since then, but was never able to catch all the drama this place has to offer. The spot is usually crowded with photographers and I was not surprised to see three other photographers standing shoulder to shoulder trying to capture this very moment.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 30sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: Hoya Solid ND, LEE .9 ND Grad

"Tafoni Formations" Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo County, California. These are unique erosion patterns calles Tafoni. Pebble beach is one of the locations where these strange erosio ...

2013-08-02T19:34:01-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Tafoni Formations" Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo County, California. These are unique erosion patterns calles Tafoni. Pebble beach is one of the locations where these strange erosion patterns can be seen up close. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/20sec at f/11 and ISO 50

"Pebbles of Pebble Beach" Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo, California. I think these pebbles are the highlight of this beach, which is also aptly named after them. The entire shore i ...

2013-08-02T19:33:33-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Pebbles of Pebble Beach"
Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo, California.

I think these pebbles are the highlight of this beach, which is also aptly named after them. The entire shore is covered by these incredibly beautiful bebbles. Since you are not allowed to take these home I took a picture of them instead.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 2sec at f/18 and ISO 200
Filters: B+W Circular Polarizer

"Pigeon Point Lighthouse" Location: San Mateo Country, Highway 1, California. This lighthouse is an awesome place to photograph, especially during sunset. This is the image from the no ...

2013-08-02T22:45:54-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Pigeon Point Lighthouse"
Location: San Mateo Country, Highway 1, California.

This lighthouse is an awesome place to photograph, especially during sunset. This is the image from the north side of the lighthouse. The sunset colors of the background clouds were looking great so I did a long exposure image to create a minimalist effect and further emphasize the lighthouse.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 70mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 30sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6
Post Processing: Adobe Lightroom, for saturation, white balance, levels and curves to bring out details in both shadow and highlight areas.

"Cypress Grove" Location: Presidio, San Francisco. I have always loved the calm feeling of early morning hours among fog shrouded cypress trees. It's been a while since I was thinking ...

2013-08-02T22:48:53-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Cypress Grove"
Location: Presidio, San Francisco.

I have always loved the calm feeling of early morning hours among fog shrouded cypress trees. It's been a while since I was thinking of photographing here, so I was happy to be able to spend some time here and get this image.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 93mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0.4sec at f/18 and ISO 160
Pano: Three horizontal images stitched in PS.

"Cypress Impression - A Foggy Day In San Francisco" Location: Presidio Cypress Grove, San Francisco, California. These fog shrouded Cypress trees have always appealed to me and I remembe ...

2013-08-02T22:50:23-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Cypress Impression - A Foggy Day In San Francisco" Location: Presidio Cypress Grove, San Francisco, California. These fog shrouded Cypress trees have always appealed to me and I remember making an attempt to photograph them a few years ago while I was still shooting film. I also recall how tough it was capture the essense of what it felt like to be here. So I was itching to make another attempt since then. As forecast called for a dense foggy day in the Bay Area I drove here early in the morning and got this image. I also tried something new here. This is a motion blur image, which I felt added to the mood of the image. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 70mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 0.6sec at f/13 and ISO 50 Filters: No filters Note: IS set to pano mode, camera moved vertically during exposure to introduce motion blur. Post Processing: Minimal, except for while balance, exposure and curves adjustments.

"Bridalveil Falls in Winter" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. A bright day after a fresh dusting of snow in Yosemite is a wonderful condition to photograph Yosemite. This ...

2013-08-02T15:57:20-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Bridalveil Falls in Winter"
Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

A bright day after a fresh dusting of snow in Yosemite is a wonderful condition to photograph Yosemite. This spot gets good light during summer when the sun hits directly on the cliff face at sunset. But a combination of clouds and ambient light during winter can be equally appealing. I felt the light on this cliff face was very pleasing on this day and decided to capture this moment.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 46mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0.3sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: B+W Circular Polarizer

"snow Covered Half Dome" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Certain conditions in Yosemite last for a very short duration. A snow covered and fog shrouded view of iconic Half- ...

2013-08-02T15:58:52-07:00

California Naturescapes
"snow Covered Half Dome" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Certain conditions in Yosemite last for a very short duration. A snow covered and fog shrouded view of iconic Half-Dome is not rare but difficult to catch since the snow melts quite rapidly. I was fortunate to visit Yosemite immeidately after a heavy snowstorm and was happy to catch this view. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 121mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/125sec at f/9 and ISO 200 Filters: B+W Circular Polarizer

"Magic Hour at Valley View" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. The storm had passed but the fog lingered on El Capitan. As the sunset drew closer the valley was filled with ...

2013-08-02T13:54:09-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Magic Hour at Valley View"
Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

The storm had passed but the fog lingered on El Capitan. As the sunset drew closer the valley was filled with warm glow reflecting off El Cap and merced river.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 2.5sec at f/18 and ISO 50
Filters: Singh Ray 3 stop rev. ND Grad, LEE .9 soft edge ND Grad and B+W Circular polarizer

Note: On a day like this make sure to be at this spot an hour or two before sunset. When I arrived here there was still room to find good composition and settle on a spot. Soom many other photographers arrived in frenzy and it was bit of a chaos seeing everyone trying to find a good spot to shoot the drama unfolding at sunset.

"Clearning Storm Over Garrapata" Location: Garrapata State Beach, Monterey/Carmel Area, California. Garrapata is one of my favorite spots to photograph and winter is the best time to pho ...

2012-09-17T13:51:16-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Clearning Storm Over Garrapata" Location: Garrapata State Beach, Monterey/Carmel Area, California. Garrapata is one of my favorite spots to photograph and winter is the best time to photograph here. I love these iconic sea stacks and how the whole scene gets dramatic with some crashing waves and passing storm clouds. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 37mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 0.4sec at f/16 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge stacked together Post Processing: A combination of dodge and burn in selective areas to bring out the details in both highlights and shadows. Added warm tones in Lightroom.

"Orchard Grove" Location: Central Valley of California aka San Joaquin Valley. Here is a view of Almond orchards from the Central Valley of California. This part of California is one o ...

2013-08-02T13:56:57-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Orchard Grove"
Location: Central Valley of California aka San Joaquin Valley.

Here is a view of Almond orchards from the Central Valley of California. This part of California is one of the most fertile areas in the world producing large quantities of almonds, peaches, nectarines and other fruits and nuts which get supplied all over the world. I drive through Central Valley on my way to Yosemite and find the views very appealing. the arrangement and sheer expanse of these orchards is something to see in person. Weather it's winter, which is when I shot this image, or spring the views of these orchards is phenomenal.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 121mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/4sec at f/22 and ISO 200
Filters: No filters
Post Processing: White balance and green hue/saturation adjustment

"Lower Yosemite Falls" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. An unusually high snow accumulation caused Yosemite falls to flow again at their peak during December, which is usu ...

2013-08-02T13:45:38-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Lower Yosemite Falls"
Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

An unusually high snow accumulation caused Yosemite falls to flow again at their peak during December, which is usually a dry time of the year. It was a fun photoshoot due to sub-zero temperatures and cold mist from the falls fogging the lens, and not to mention the roaring sound of the waterfall itself... wish I could capture all of that as well.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: No filters
Post Processing: Warm tones in white balance, green-channel luminosity increase (trees were too dark as shot)

This is an ultra wide angle shot because I wanted to include the entire length of the waterfall, which is 320ft tall and also show the water motion in the foreground.

"La Jolla Potholes" Location: Hospitals Reef, La Jolla, California. This interesting landscape was first brought to my attention by a friend and fellow photographer Scott Lawson. So du ...

2013-08-02T22:45:38-07:00

California Naturescapes
"La Jolla Potholes"
Location: Hospitals Reef, La Jolla, California.

This interesting landscape was first brought to my attention by a friend and fellow photographer Scott Lawson. So during my brief visit to San Diego I could not resist shooting these potholes on the rocky sandstone shores of La Jolla. The clouds were just enough to play with the sunset light and create bit more drama to the scene. I loved shooting here that day.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon 17-40mm f/4L @ 24mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 0.6sec at f/22 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.75 hard edge, Singh Ray Rev. ND Grad 3 stop

Post processing: Dust spot removal and white balance adjustment and noise removal in the sky, all using Adobe Lightroom. The image was shot as a single exposure and due to extreme dynamic range of the light I shot it bit darker than whan you see here to avoid excessive overexposure near the sun.

"Upper Golden Cascade Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. These are the upper most section of the cascading falls on the Berry Creek. The fall colors were added bo ...

2013-08-02T14:01:04-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Upper Golden Cascade Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. These are the upper most section of the cascading falls on the Berry Creek. The fall colors were added bonus for me. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @57mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 2sec at f/13 and ISO 160 Filters: B+W Circular Polarizer

"Upper Golden Cascade Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. These are the upper most section of the cascading falls on the Berry Creek. The fall colors were added bo ...

2013-08-02T14:02:29-07:00

"Middle Golden Cascade Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. Second the series of three cascading falls along the Berry Creek these are Golden Cascade Falls. Tech ...

2013-08-02T14:10:15-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Middle Golden Cascade Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. Second the series of three cascading falls along the Berry Creek these are Golden Cascade Falls. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @57mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 2sec at f/8 and ISO 100 Filters: No filters

"Golden Cascade Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. Second the series of three cascading falls along the Berry Creek these are Golden Cascade Falls. Tech Info: ...

2013-08-02T13:58:45-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Golden Cascade Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. Second the series of three cascading falls along the Berry Creek these are Golden Cascade Falls. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @24mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 4sec at f/13 and ISO 50 Filters: No filters

"Redwoods of Big Basin" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. Big Basin is one of the closest places to see redwood tress in the Bay Area. The hike can be even more rewardi ...

2013-08-02T14:05:27-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Redwoods of Big Basin" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. Big Basin is one of the closest places to see redwood tress in the Bay Area. The hike can be even more rewarding during early hours of the day when sunlight and fog interact creating very interesting lighting conditions among the trees. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/80 sec, at f/4.5 and ISO 640 Filters: No filters

"Berry Creek Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. These are iconic waterfalls in the mountains of Santa Cruz. To reach up to this point one has to hike at least 4 ...

2013-08-02T15:33:10-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Berry Creek Falls"
Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California.

These are iconic waterfalls in the mountains of Santa Cruz. To reach up to this point one has to hike at least 4 miles one way, but the views are worth the efforts especially when the waterfalls are flowing after a few winter rainstorms.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 32mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 2.5sec at f/14 and ISO 100
Filters: No filters

"Berry Creek Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. These are iconic waterfalls in the mountains of Santa Cruz. To reach up to this point one has to hike at least 4 m ...

2013-08-02T13:57:12-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Berry Creek Falls" Location: Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. These are iconic waterfalls in the mountains of Santa Cruz. To reach up to this point one has to hike at least 4 miles one way, but the views are worth the efforts especially when the waterfalls are flowing after a few winter rainstorms. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 32mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 2.5sec at f/14 and ISO 100 Filters: No filters

"Fall in Big Basin" Location: Silver Falls, Big Basin Redwood State Park, California. I have always been fascinated to capture an image of maple leaves on sandstone next to a flowing s ...

2013-08-02T13:55:45-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Fall in Big Basin"
Location: Silver Falls, Big Basin Redwood State Park, California.

I have always been fascinated to capture an image of maple leaves on sandstone next to a flowing stream. I know that Zion National Park offers many such spots but I was thrilled to find similar arrangement of elements deep in the jungles of Big Basin Redwood State Park.

Here is info on the hike from Big Basin Redwood State Park page

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 55mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: This is a panorama from three horizontal images each shot at f/8 with exposures ranging from 1/5sec at far right to 1.3 sec on far left at ISO 500
Filters: No filters
Processing: Panorama was created using Adobe Photoshop CS4

"Winter Sunset on Golden Gate" Location: Crissy Field, San Francisco, California. Winter storm conditions bring with them some of the most unique lighting conditions to photograph icon ...

2013-08-02T22:47:24-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Winter Sunset on Golden Gate"
Location: Crissy Field, San Francisco, California.

Winter storm conditions bring with them some of the most unique lighting conditions to photograph iconic Golden Gate bridge. On one such evening I was fortunate enough to see this beautiful sunset light on the bridge against backdrop of clouds. It is not an exaggeration that this lighting condition existed for less than a minute before it went gray again.

This image was captured at Crissy Field which is a great place to enjoy the waterfront with the cup of coffee. Be sure to visit The Warming Hut while you are here.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 25mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 5sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge stacked together

Note on post processing:
This image is pretty much straight from the camera except for the tilt correction and dust spot removal. I had to make no further changes. The colrs are literally as I saw them. It was truely an amazing sunset at Golden Gate.

"Mt Whitney Night Glow" Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. It is one of the amazing displays you can enjoy watching Mt. Whitney reflecting moonlight. I originally arrived ...

2013-08-02T12:28:35-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Mt Whitney Night Glow"
Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California.

It is one of the amazing displays you can enjoy watching Mt. Whitney reflecting moonlight. I originally arrived here to shoot sunrise but while I was here I noticed the wonderful glow on the peak. A long exposure also shows a few star-trails.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 200mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 30sec at f/5 and ISO 50

"San Diego Skyline" Location: Coronado Island, San Diego, California.

2013-08-02T22:51:33-07:00

California Naturescapes
"San Diego Skyline"
Location: Coronado Island, San Diego, California.

"North Palisades" Location: Dusy Basin, Kings Canyon Backcountry, California. These are some of the highest mountains in the Seirra Nevada range, next only to majestic Mt. Whitney. I c ...

2013-08-02T13:01:22-07:00

California Naturescapes
"North Palisades"
Location: Dusy Basin, Kings Canyon Backcountry, California.

These are some of the highest mountains in the Seirra Nevada range, next only to majestic Mt. Whitney. I captured this image while camping at scenic Dusy Basin. The backcountry hike to Dusy Basin is one of the most scenic hikes to do in eastern sierra mountains. The dusy, as a final destination, offers fantastic views of the sierra mountains and pristine quietness that is hard to find anywhere else.

Making this particular image was an interesting adventure. We had planned a two day hike and it was raining on and off all the time. When we reached here it was raining again and I thought I would miss any opportunity to photograph here. Then clouds opened up giving me a brief window of about an hour when I could get this image. I was happy that the clouds were still in the sky while opening up just a bit to allow sunlight to shine on the peaks.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 26mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 5sec at f/16 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 soft edge along with Singh-Ray Vari ND solid grad set at about 8 sopts to allow long exposure

"First Light on Mt Whitney" Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. On my second day of photoshoot at this location I saw this view of Mt. Whitney lit by the first rays of sunlig ...

2013-08-02T12:27:57-07:00

California Naturescapes
"First Light on Mt Whitney" Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. On my second day of photoshoot at this location I saw this view of Mt. Whitney lit by the first rays of sunlight at dawn. My previous attempt at this location had Mt. Whitney shrouded in fog, so I was happy to finally get the view I came here to see. It is quite an experience to shoot here. You have to arrive when it is still dark and hike up to this spot to claim a spot on the rock behind the arch. I read on the internet that this place can get very crowded since it is a classical sunrise spot to photograph. I, however, had this place pretty much to myself. On the contrary I enjoyed company of another fellow photographer Keith Kapple who was also there to photograph the arch. We chatted a bit and later drove around hunting for other arches in the area. It is always nice to bump into fellow photographers in the field. There are few more interesting arches here but I will leave those for my next trip here. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 26mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 2sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: No filters Post processing: The as-shot image needed warm tones since it was shot during dawn. Without adding warm tones the image can look excessively blue (cold color temp)

"Mt Whitney at Sunrise" Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. Mt. Whitney is the highest point in lower 48 continental US at about 14,500 ft. The hike up to the top is one of ...

2013-08-02T12:26:43-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Mt Whitney at Sunrise"
Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California.

Mt. Whitney is the highest point in lower 48 continental US at about 14,500 ft. The hike up to the top is one of the most rewarding things to do. I had a pleasure to do that a few years ago. We hiked up to 12000 ft the day before and camped overnight at a spot called Trailcamp. The next day I saw the fascinating orange glow on the peak at sunrise and since then wanted to photograph it. The opportunity came recently when I visited the town of Lone Pine and was able to photograph this magestic mountain at sunrise.

This is a panorama image made from three horizontal shots and later stitched in photoshop.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 200mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1 sec each at f/13 and ISO 50
Filters: No filters.

"Möbius Arch" Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. Möbius arch is one of the most iconic rock formations on eastern sierra landscape, however, photographing it can get tri ...

2013-08-02T12:28:41-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Möbius Arch"
Location: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California.

Möbius arch is one of the most iconic rock formations on eastern sierra landscape, however, photographing it can get tricky. The name, as you may have guessed, derives from a mathematical concept of 'Möbius strip'. This is first of the series of few images of the arch where I liked the warmth of the morning light on the arch against winter fog in the background. On a clear day it is possible to see Mt. Whitney through the arch, which makes from another interesting image.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 22mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/8sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: No filters.

Note to first time visitors to the arch:
It can can difficult to find the arch, but I found these directions quite useful in locating it. Since you have to be here much before sunrise it is advisable to first go and find the arch the previous evening. Also winter is the best time to go here since low angle of the sun casts beautiful shadow of the arch and the light is sublime. And oh yes, get enough warm clothing, it can get quite cold there.

"Alabama Hills" Location: Lone Pine, California. I always wanted to visit Alabama Hills to see its strange rock formations, natural arches and views of Mt. Whitney. This is an early mo ...

2013-08-02T12:26:37-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Alabama Hills"
Location: Lone Pine, California.

I always wanted to visit Alabama Hills to see its strange rock formations, natural arches and views of Mt. Whitney. This is an early morning shot showing strange landscape. It had snowed the previous night and was about to snow again. You can see streaks of snowfall on the distant hills while early morning light illuminated the scene from the side. I loved how this image turned out.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 70mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/20sec at f/11 and ISO 3200

The light was changing fast and there was no time for me to setup the tripod, hence high ISO for hand-held shooting. Within few moments it was snowing in the whole area and the light that illuminated the rocks had gone.

"La Jolla Sunset" Location: Wind and Sea Beach, La Jolla, California. I lived in La Jolla, California for about six years and had various evenings spent on this beach watching sunset. ...

2013-08-02T22:50:47-07:00

California Naturescapes
"La Jolla Sunset"
Location: Wind and Sea Beach, La Jolla, California.

I lived in La Jolla, California for about six years and had various evenings spent on this beach watching sunset. Unfortunately, I was not keen on photography then. So I had a chance to visit La Jolla again and I decided to capture a sunset shot I had in mind. I was glad that the light was great that evening and left a warm sunset glow on the rocks.

In this image I used a long exposure to smooth out the waves and create a minimalist feel to mimic the calm I felt that evening.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 @ 22mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 50sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grad 0.9 soft edge and Singh Ray 3 stop rev ND Grad along with Hoya 4 stop solid ND filter

This image is pretty much straight out of the shutterbox. The colors are all real and captured during twilight glow of the sunset. ND filters allowed long exposure and balancing of the lighting conditions in the sky and foreground.

"Saltpans" Location: Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California. A surreal landscape for sure... being here can feel like being on an alien landscape. These are salt deposite ...

2013-08-02T12:27:59-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Saltpans" Location: Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California. A surreal landscape for sure... being here can feel like being on an alien landscape. These are salt deposites left by an ancient lake that once filled this valley. Repeated filling and drying of the lake left huge quantities of minerals, mostly salt, on the lake bed. The unique formation of saltpans is a natural process in which these pans grow and press against each other forming ridges. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 15sec at f/16 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 soft edge and 0.75 hard edge Note on post processing: I had to do almost no post processing on this image. The colors are due to twilight glow at dusk. I did, however, had to correct the wide angle distortion that occurs shooting at 17mm focal length with this perspective.

"Tangled Sea Weed" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. I was looking for some interesting foreground when I found these seaweed plants washed ashore during hig ...

2013-08-02T15:58:15-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Tangled Sea Weed" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. I was looking for some interesting foreground when I found these seaweed plants washed ashore during high tide. To me the tubular design of these plants is just a miracle of nature. How well adapted that is to an aquatic life. Seeing it washed ashore gave me time to marvel at their beauty and capture this image. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 8 sec at f/16 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads

"Motion Pattern Abstract" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. A long exposure blur on the passing wave created abstract patterns to complement with the sky. ...

2013-08-02T14:20:16-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Motion Pattern Abstract" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. A long exposure blur on the passing wave created abstract patterns to complement with the sky. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1.3sec at f/13 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads

"Reflections" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. A low tide and an awesome sunset along with interesting cloud formations careated perfect conditions to enj ...

2013-08-02T14:11:54-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Reflections"
Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California.

A low tide and an awesome sunset along with interesting cloud formations careated perfect conditions to enjoy these reflections in the sand. Though this bridge is famous for its natural bridge, I often like to visit here just to see the reflections in the sand. The sand here retains the water long after the wave has receded allowing for spectacular displays of reflections.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1.3sec at f/13 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads

"San Francisco Bay Bridge" Location: Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco, California. I shot this image just before the sun came up and lit the whole scene (see next)... that is still my ...

2013-08-02T22:48:28-07:00

California Naturescapes
"San Francisco Bay Bridge"
Location: Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco, California.

I shot this image just before the sun came up and lit the whole scene (see next)... that is still my favorite image. However, I liked this image because it has both the warm glow of the twilight and also the magic of the cool blue tones.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 24mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 30sec at f/13 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge
Post Processing: Adobe Lightroom for white balance, shadow details, Adobe PS for wide angle lens distortion correction. Rest is straight from the camera.

"Bay Bridge at Dawn" Location: Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco, California. I don't think I had to wake up early to see this because what I saw was nothing less than a beautiful dream ...

2013-08-02T23:01:36-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Bay Bridge at Dawn"
Location: Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco, California.

I don't think I had to wake up early to see this because what I saw was nothing less than a beautiful dream :)

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 22mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 25sec at f/14 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge
Post Processing: Adobe Lightroom for white balance, Adobe PS for wide angle lens distortion correction. Rest is straight from the camera.

"Tafoni Formation" Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo County, California. Tafoni is an interesting erosion pattern found on many rocks along the coastline of San Francisco bay area. Pebbl ...

2013-08-02T19:33:16-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Tafoni Formation" Location: Pebble Beach, San Mateo County, California. Tafoni is an interesting erosion pattern found on many rocks along the coastline of San Francisco bay area. Pebble beach, in particular, is one of the best local spots to see it. I visit this beach often, but the visit is even more engaging when the lighting conditions are great. A storm system moving over Bay Area produced some spectacular lighting conditions and I took that opportunity to capture this image. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 19mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/5sec at f/14 and ISO 200 Filters: Lee ND Grads 0.75 hard edge and 0.9 soft edge Post Processing: Lens distorition correction, spot removal etc., done in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe PhotoShop CS4

"Golden Gate at Dawn" Location: Marin Headlands, San Francisco, California. Here is another of my favorite images of iconic Golden Gate bridge. I shot this early in the morning on a da ...

2013-08-02T22:47:37-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Golden Gate at Dawn"
Location: Marin Headlands, San Francisco, California.

Here is another of my favorite images of iconic Golden Gate bridge. I shot this early in the morning on a day when we had a passing storm in the Bay Area. The storm clouds provided perfect backdrop for the bridge and allowed me to capture the image in a good contrast.

It is always fun to shoot Golden Gate bridge under low lighting conditions of early morning or late evening. The balance of lighting conditions between bridge and it's surroundings is at it's best and makes it possible to capture all the rich hues. Moreover a long exposure in the camera essentially makes the vehicles disappear making it look empty and minimalist.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L @ 35mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 76sec at f/13 and ISO 100
Filters: No filters
Post Processing: Canon DPP, mainly involving levels and curves to bring out details in shadow areas.

"Tenaya Lake" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Situated high up in sierra mountains Tenaya lake is one of the pristine lakes that is easily accessible during a visit to Yose ...

2013-08-02T13:55:40-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Tenaya Lake" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Situated high up in sierra mountains Tenaya lake is one of the pristine lakes that is easily accessible during a visit to Yosemite national park. The landscape here is dominated by giant granite domes that were once covered in ancient glaciers. The lake is the remaining legacy of those glaciers. I liked bit of light showing up on the pine trees and decided to include those in the composition as well. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 50mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 25sec at f/16 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge

"Rolling Hills of California - II" Location: Mt Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, California. I shot this image just when the sun was peaking through a small gap between the high clo ...

2013-08-02T13:50:52-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Rolling Hills of California - II"
Location: Mt Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, California.

I shot this image just when the sun was peaking through a small gap between the high clouds and the low fog. Hiking on the slopes of undulating rolling hills at Mt. Tamalpais State Park has its perks. Here is an image for those who could not witness the beauty of this amazing place.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 30mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1.3sec at f/13 and ISO 50
Filters: All the ND Grads I had with me... the dynamic range was too high to be managed with just one filter.
Post Processing: Added warm tones by adjusting white balance. Added few more software ND Grads filters. Dust removal and saturation adjustments in Adobe Lightroom

"Rolling Hills of California" Location: Mt Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, California. Hiking on the slopes of undulating rolling hills at Mt. Tamalpais State Park has its perks. Her ...

2013-08-02T12:30:46-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Rolling Hills of California" Location: Mt Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, California. Hiking on the slopes of undulating rolling hills at Mt. Tamalpais State Park has its perks. Here is an image for those who could not witness the beauty of this amazing place. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 30mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 0.6sec at f/13 and ISO 50 Filters: All the ND Grads I had with me... the dynamic range was too high to be managed with just one filter. Post Processing: Added warm tones by adjusting white balance. Added few more software ND Grads filters. Dust removal and saturation adjustments.

"The Beginning" Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California. This is the last natural bridge standing along the shores of Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. I ...

2013-08-02T14:11:02-07:00

California Naturescapes
"The Beginning"
Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California.

This is the last natural bridge standing along the shores of Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. I have been photographing at this spot for years and what I found most difficult was to get a good combination of evening light and radiating clouds that would complement this natural wonder. On this particular day the clouds were spectacular. I further emphasized the mood of the scene using slightly long exposure to capture motion of the receding waves.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1sec at f/13 and ISO 100
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge

"Valley of Lights and Shadows" Location: Castle Rock State Park, Santa Cruz Hills, California. It was a fun start of the day today. A friend of mine suggested hike at the Castle Rock S ...

2013-08-02T12:27:42-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Valley of Lights and Shadows"
Location: Castle Rock State Park, Santa Cruz Hills, California.

It was a fun start of the day today. A friend of mine suggested hike at the Castle Rock SP which has some very nice views of these old growth forests. We started hike early in the morning and were pleasantly rewarded with this view. The weather was also unusually good with presence of both fog and breaking clouds. The fog was rolling fast but light was finding its way through pockets in the cloud cover.

These forests have been fortunately preserved in their pristine conditions. A hike at this place crisscrossing forested and open areas is definitely recommended.

Tech Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 45mm
Exposure: 1/25sec at f/13 and ISO 160
Filters: Singh Ray 0.9 and 0.6 soft edge ND Grad filters Processing: Adobe Lightroom

"Summer Sunset" Location: Mt Tamalpais, Mill Valley, California. I thought I would talk about this image a bit since it was such a good fun shooting this. It always amazes me to see how ...

2013-08-02T12:59:21-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Summer Sunset" Location: Mt Tamalpais, Mill Valley, California. I thought I would talk about this image a bit since it was such a good fun shooting this. It always amazes me to see how these subtle colors in nature start to reveal just after sunset. The so-called magic hour is truly magical. Technically this is a high dynamic range image but obtained using graduated neutral density filters and not using multiple exposures. It was shot in a single frame using a stack of graduated neutral density filters to avoid overexposure of the sky and the fog. Once the light is dim and filters are in place to balance the brightness of the sky against land, I like to try long exposures to create these surreal shots. The exposure time for this image is 90sec which helps bring out rich colors that are otherwise not accessible. Hope you enjoyed this image. Tech Info: Lens: Canon 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm (Yes, this is a very wide angle shot. I had maybe just about a foot of space between the rocks I photographed and rocks behind me) Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 90sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE Graduated ND filters with soft edge 0.9 and 0.6 combined with 3 stop Singh Ray Reverse ND Grad Post processing for this image was limited to increasing brightness a bit. Of course I adjust white balance on all my shots. Tree area needed some increase in exposure. Colors are all natural and unaltered. Processing was done in Adobe Lightroom

"Pacific Dogwoods" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Pacific dogwoods are unique flowers which bloom once a year in a spectacular displace at Yosemite National Park. It is al ...

2013-08-02T15:58:30-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Pacific Dogwoods" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. Pacific dogwoods are unique flowers which bloom once a year in a spectacular displace at Yosemite National Park. It is always fun a challenge to capture the display when leaves are still young and flowers are at their best. The bloom of these flowers is truly an ephemeral event. They bloom at the start of the summer season during mid to late May time-frame and are photographically at their best for maybe two weeks. Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 30D Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 70mm Exposure: 1/800sec at f/4 and ISO 320 Filters: No filters

"Sentinel Dome Sunset" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. I am posting this image from Yosemite that I captured back in 2007. I have not been to Yosemite for a while now and I ...

2013-08-02T15:56:59-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Sentinel Dome Sunset" Location: Yosemite National Park, California. I am posting this image from Yosemite that I captured back in 2007. I have not been to Yosemite for a while now and I am starting to get an itch to pay another visit soon. In the mean time I was going through images from the past and came across this image. Looking at it now I really like it. The warmth of sunlight glow on the glacial erractic boulder brings back the memory of the hike we did on that Nov. evening. So here it is. Tech Info: Camera: Canon EOS 30D Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @ 28mm Exposure: 1/200sec at f/2.8 and ISO 100 Filters: 2 Stop Singh Ray ND Grad filter

"Mt Diablo View" Location: Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Fremont, California. When the dense fog rolls into the bay during summer months it can appear like a vast ocean from the top wi ...

2013-08-02T13:51:22-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Mt Diablo View" Location: Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Fremont, California. When the dense fog rolls into the bay during summer months it can appear like a vast ocean from the top with dominant peaks sticking out like islands. That is Mt. Diablo in the distant and I was quite happy to see it this way for the first time. I have been on this trail so many times but never saw Mt. Diablo against the subtle backdrop of twilight glow. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L at 17mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 30sec at f/11 and ISO 160 Filters: LEE ND Grad filters 0.9 + 0.6 soft edge and 0.75 hard edge

"Come Out Upon My Seas" Location: Pescadero State Beach, San Mateo County, California. The northern end of the Pescadero State Beach is dominated by these coastal bluffs. They rise up ...

2013-08-02T19:41:52-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Come Out Upon My Seas"
Location: Pescadero State Beach, San Mateo County, California.

The northern end of the Pescadero State Beach is dominated by these coastal bluffs. They rise up abruptly from the sand and tell a geological story that has shaped this landscape for thousands of years. It's a story of how the land here wass transformed by colossal forces within the earth. These forces first lifted certain parts of the landscape several hundred feet in the air and then gradually eroded them by the wind and the water. It's timeless and for me it is a place to find solitude. The day I shot this image an unusual storm was passing over Bay Area. It is always great to witness a passing storm which brings with it interesting cloud formations and filtered light that I so much strive to capture in an image.

The combination of breaking storm, sunset light, texture on the face of the eroding bluff and receding wave finally gave me all the elements I needed to tell this geological story. This land is never the same. It changes with every tide and gets eroded evermore during every winter storm. As they always say, beauty is transient and this landscape certainly highlights that point.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/2sec at f/13 and ISO 50
Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.6 and 0.9

"The Tree That Giveth Life" Location: Joseph D Grant State Park, California. When I saw this oak tree on the rolling hills of California I was struck by warmth and purity of light bath ...

2013-08-02T13:50:10-07:00

California Naturescapes
"The Tree That Giveth Life"
Location: Joseph D Grant State Park, California.

When I saw this oak tree on the rolling hills of California I was struck by warmth and purity of light bathing the canopy of new leaves. The air was chill but fresh. The moisture in the air after rainstorm was very refreshing. The lush green color of the grass and the new sprouting leaves was very pleasing to look at. I sat here thinking this is how elements would have come together to create and nurture life. It was certainly a very Feng-Shui moment for me.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 70mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/60sec at f/14 and ISO 640
Filters: No filters

"Sunset and California's Oak Tree" Location: Joseph D Grant State Park, California. What a day today! Monday always starts off busy and you never seem to have enough time. It has been ...

2013-08-02T13:01:53-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Sunset and California's Oak Tree"
Location: Joseph D Grant State Park, California.

What a day today! Monday always starts off busy and you never seem to have enough time. It has been raining on and off all day today but it was a perfect weather for landscape shots. I almost thought of taking a day off today but that did not materialize. Anyway, the best I could hope for was to run to the hills after work and catch those fleeting moments at sunset. It was indeed an awesome sunset and I was just happy to be here and witness all the drma in the sky.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 70mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 1/15sec at f/13 and ISO 200
Filters: No filters (Though I think I should have used ND filter but light was changing so fast and I was pressed for time that I just managed to setup a tripod and catch this)

"Golden Gate: A Foggy Evening" Location: Fort Baker, San Francisco, California. Golden Gate is, by no doubt, the most beautiful bridge in the world. No wonder so many people visit San ...

2013-08-02T22:47:03-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Golden Gate: A Foggy Evening"
Location: Fort Baker, San Francisco, California.

Golden Gate is, by no doubt, the most beautiful bridge in the world. No wonder so many people visit San Francisco to see it. In that sense I feel very lucky that I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and not far from the bridge. This is the view of the bridge on a foggy evening from the north end at Fort Baker. I used long exposure of camera to smooth the waves in the water and give a minimalist feel to the image.

This image prints very well at 24x36in with all the details in the cables of the bridge still sharp.

Tech Info:
Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @ 50mm
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Exposure: 64sec at f/16 and ISO 200
Filters: No filters

"Valley View" Location: South Bay Hills, California. View of the valley from the hills that surround it is always enjoyable. After I got off work one day in spring I headed to Mt. Hamilt ...

2013-08-02T12:26:45-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Valley View" Location: South Bay Hills, California. View of the valley from the hills that surround it is always enjoyable. After I got off work one day in spring I headed to Mt. Hamilton road and saw this incredible view when the city lights were turning on and sun had just set. Moreover, spring time green on the hills is my favorite and passing storm clouds added that extra bonus to the view. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @ 38mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 135sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.6 and 0.9 soft edge stacked together

"California Oak" Location: Joseph D Grant State Park, California. There is something very captivating about the branching of an oak tree. During spring when the hills are green here in C ...

2013-08-02T12:29:54-07:00

California Naturescapes
"California Oak" Location: Joseph D Grant State Park, California. There is something very captivating about the branching of an oak tree. During spring when the hills are green here in California and the oak tree has not yet sproutted new leaves, it is a great time to photograph it. On this particular day the air was crisp and late evening light was illuminating the tree against interesting backdrop of passing clouds. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @ 35mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/6sec at f/14 and ISO 50 Filters: B+W Circular Polarizer

"Great Cheese Comes from Happy Cows, Happy Cows Come from California" Location: Calaveras Hills, Milpitas, California. Remember the ad, "Great cheese comes from happy cows, happy cows c ...

2013-08-02T12:28:37-07:00

California Naturescapes
"Great Cheese Comes from Happy Cows, Happy Cows Come from California" Location: Calaveras Hills, Milpitas, California. Remember the ad, "Great cheese comes from happy cows, happy cows come from California". One foggy morning of spring at sunrise I came here to visit these happy cows. The visit went okay except for some weird calls and hand waiving I had to do to make these guys move into the frame. It was fun. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L @ 70mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II Exposure: 1/30sec at f/13 and ISO 800 Filters: LEE ND Grad 0.9 soft edge

"California Oak" Location: South Bay Hills, San Jose, California. I have been on the look out for these lone oak trees for a long time. It is such a quintenssential California landscape ...

2013-08-02T12:26:56-07:00

California Naturescapes
"California Oak" Location: South Bay Hills, San Jose, California. I have been on the look out for these lone oak trees for a long time. It is such a quintenssential California landscape that I had to capture. Surprisingly, I found this oak tree very close to where I live and since then I have been visiting here to capture it under best light. Spring is a unique and transient time for this landscape. The hills are lush green after winter rains but are about to turn golden in few weeks. Oak tree will sprout new leaves and will look entirely different. And the dramatic sunsets will be long gone. In that sense I really liked this image and was happy to have captured it. Tech Info: Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS @ 70mm Camera: Canon EOS 5D MK II Exposure: 3.2sec at f/20 and ISO 200 Filters: LEE ND Grads 0.6, 0.9 soft edge and Singh Ray 3 stop reverse ND Grad stacked together