Creative Nature and Seascape Photography

_MG_4201-2 Cambria Waves, Cambria, CA

_MG_4202-2 Cambria Waves, Cambria, CA

Using a slow shutter speed, aka as “dragging the shutter,”  is a great way to shoot ocean waves and achieve a creative blur in nature and seascape photography.   There are many ways to shoot creative photography, and this is just one of them.  These images were shot early in the morning when I was shooting sunrise near the beautiful coastal town of Cambria on the Central Coast of California.  I focused on the rocks in the foreground.  Using a slow shutter speed, any movement will blur.   I like to use the lowest ISO possible.  On the Canon 5D,MII, it goes down to 50.   For these images, I used a tripod.   The aperture was at F14 and exposure at 1/6 sec.    Using a tripod is a must and a mirror lock up is very helpful to avoid camera shake.  It’s really fun because you never know exactly what the water will be like – sometimes silky, sometimes sharp and frozen.  Use different shutter speeds and see what you can come up with.  Living on the California Central Coast we have plenty of opportunity to shoot amazing nature and seascape photography with opportunities everywhere.

_MG_4144-2 Cambria Waves, Cambria,

This image  shot for 1 sec at F22 creates the look of more wispy waves as opposed to the sharp edged ones above.

 

For copies or use of these and other images, email:   ashala7@gmail.com

View my website:  www.ashalaTylor.com and http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashala

 

 

Occupy San Francisco Shoot

The Occupy Wall Street movement is history in the making on many levels.  From a photographic standpoint, there is plenty to shoot.  This weekend I spent some time in the beautiful city of San Francisco and had the opportunity to pay a visit to the Occupy San Francisco encampment on the waterfront which is part of the Occupy Wall Street movement which has spread like wildfire both nationally and internationally.  I was fortunate to get the shots that I did, because 12 hours later at 1 a.m. 100 cops descended on the encampment and arrested 80+ people rousting them from their sleep and destroying the encampment.  I would have liked to have been there to document it, but I had left by then.   As of now, the pics that are on this blog are no longer there.  It was completely torn down and destroyed.  Growing up in the 60’s, this was quite a throwback to days of old.  I was captivated by the diversity of the people in the occupy encampment and spent hours talking with them.  The Occupy Wall Street movement gets bigger by the day.  As one is torn down, another springs up.

_MG_4959-2 Occupy San Francisco

Img 4878 Scott Peterson Holding a Sacred Space

 

Spent quite a while talking to Scott Peterson who comes each day to hold a sacred space.  He does not live at the encampment but comes each day bringing food to share and spends time in the sacred space he created

_MG_4980-2 Occupy San Francisco Mannequin

San Francisco art still thrives everywhere in the City by the Bay at Occupy San Francisco.

IMG 4949 Occupy San Francisco Journal

_MG_4945-2 Occupy San Francisco Journal

It was the small things that caught my attention…

_MG_3481-2 Occupy San Francisco Music

The Christmas spirit was alive and well at Occupy San Francisco.

_MG_4953-2 Occupy San Francisco Sacred Space

It saddens me to think this sacred space met its demise at 1 a.m. at the hands of batons.

_MG_3485-2 Occupy San Francisco Library

 

 

Gone, too, is the library.

_MG_4895-2 Occupy San Francisco

_MG_4836-2 Occupy San Francisco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seascape Photography on the Central Coast of California

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.  WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR.

_MG_4718-2 Morro Rock, Morro Bay, CA

You never know what Mother Nature will hand you in nature and landscape photography.  Last night I raced to one of my favorite spots when I saw the cloud formations as I was sure it would be those great reds and oranges from the winter sky.  The sun came and went very rapidly with only a hint of color.  Not to be deterred since I was all set up and ready to go, I looked down and saw the most amazing reflections in the water.  After the sun had so quickly disappeared, I pulled out the flash and shot until dark.   Flash photography is perfect for a low light evening to bring out those water reflections.

We have so much to be grateful for, with so much beauty around us here on the California Central Coast, when we take the time to look at what is right in front of us.  It may not always be what we expect, but there is always something of beauty to be found.

_MG_4724-2 Morro Bay Reflections

_MG_4724-2 Morro Bay Reflections

For copies or use of these and other images, email:   ashala7@gmail.com

View my website:  www.ashalaTylor.com and http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashala

(To view these images in full size, click on image)

Night Shooting on the California Central Coast

 

_MG_4279-2 Cayucos Sunset

I love wintertime when the sky is filled with clouds, which can be a recipe for AWESOME sunsets.  I raced over to the small beach town of Cayucos from Paso Robles, 1/2 hour away, when I saw the clouds in the sky.    I was too late to watch the sun disappear, but the drama, as usual, was after the sun set.  The sky was aglow with color. Cayucos, a beautiful little beach town on Highway 1, a surfing community and a throwback to the 50’s, is great for shooting.   I was nearly alone on the beach except for a few people around a beach campfire.  Using my trusty 5DMII, which is my go-to camera for landscape photography, I decided to try some night shooting from the beach.

_MG_4306-2 Cayucos Pier

 

Night shooting is a simple process and fun as you never know what you will get.  Since night shooting calls for slow shutter speeds, a tripod is a necessity, as is a remote shutter release.

Use the bulb setting and try different time exposures to find what works.   Using the AV setting, gives you the ability to choose the aperture and to see if the shutter speed is long enough.   If it is not long enough, raise the ISO.  100-400 ISO works just fine at night.   I started with 10 seconds, viewed the image;  went to 20 seconds, viewed; then 30 seconds, until I found what worked.   Use of a remote shutter release will minimize camera shake.  It is also needed if you shoot longer than 30 seconds.

For night landscape or seascape photography, bring a flashlight, tripod, remote shutter release, warm clothes, experiment, and just have fun … and stay warm in the winter weather.

 

For copies or use of these and other images, email:   ashala7@gmail.com

View my website:  www.ashalaTylor.com and http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashala

(To view these images in full size, click on image)

 

Shooting Fall Colors in the California Vineyards

 

For copies or use of these and other images, email:   ashala7@gmail.com

View my website:  www.ashalaTylor.com and http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashala

(To view these images in full size, click on image)

 

 

 

 

 

_MG_3092 Hot Air Balloon over Paso Robles Vineyards

Here on the California Central Coast we do not have the trees full of fall colors like on the East Coast and other parts of the U.S., but what we do have are rows and rows of vineyards which provide a taste of that fall color and plenty of opportunity for landscape photography.  I set out very early to to shoot the fall colors.  I drove around Paso Robles and saw a likely vineyard for shooting.   I asked permission, and was granted, to shoot in the vineyards at Summerwood Vineyards by a kind gentleman standing inside the vineyard waiting for the workers to arrive.  Being able to get in the gate and in the vineyards afforded me the opportunity to get up high on the vineyard road and shoot down the rows and rows of color.

It proved to be a great day for shooting as that was harvest day and the workers were out picking grapes providing the opportunity for action shots.

After awhile I became bored with the usual vineyard shots and decided to try something different.  I had already shot low, shot high, large aperature, small aperature.  I took the 100-400 and set to 400 mm, focused, and then with a slow shutter speed, manual focus, rapidly brought the barrel towards me.  That was really fun to do and fun to see what I ended up with each time.

_MG_4034-2 Paso Robles Vineyard Row

_MG_3908-2_Paso Robles Grapes

_MG_3991-2 Paso Robles Vineyard

Other times, I focused the camera and with a slow shutter speed, pushed the shutter and rapidly turned the camera 90 degrees.  More fun stuff.  It is always fun to step out of the box and see what can be created.

As far as the hot air balloon, I was shooting a few weeks ago in a vineyard and happened to look up and saw approaching a large hot air balloon.  Life is always interesting.  You never know what to expect.  When out shooting, be ready for anything it hands you, like a great big, colorful hot air balloon flying overhead and camera in hand, and a great opportunity for landscape photography.  It was a good day…