If you’ve ever driven the California coast, you understand why it’s so popular with poets and songwriters. Highway 1, south of San Francisco and through Big Sur, must be one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.
What makes it so attractive? It’s rough, with lots of rock and crashing surf. But it’s also accessible, with the two-lane road either hugging the shoreline or climbing the hillsides to let you enjoy the view from either the water or the overlooks. And it doesn’t matter if the weather is foggy, rainy or sunny – it’s still beautiful.
A friend and I recently spent two days there, making a quick jaunt south from San Francisco to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and back. By the end, I realized this would make a great four or five-day workshop. Surfers, the UCSC Arboretum, the boardwalk and amusement park at night in Santa Cruz. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Point Lobos, where Edward Weston made such iconic photos. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, McWay Falls, Jade Cove and Pfeiffer Beach. A boat tour of the saltwater marshes and their birdlife. I hope to plan a workshop with those stops this fall. If you’re interested, drop me a note (to reed@reedhoffmann.com) and I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, here are some of the photos from our too-short adventure. Enjoy.
Scenes like this are common along Highway 1. Nikon D810, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/200 at f/7.1, EV -0.7, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens at 34mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Waves washing over rocks cries for a long exposure was to create blur. Since it was dusk, that could be done without a neutral density filter. Nikon D5500, Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 2-seconds at f/22, EV -0.3, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens at 110mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
The moon (outside the frame to the left) provided just enough light to illuminate the clouds and surf around Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Nikon D810, Manual exposure, ISO 800, 15-seconds at f/4.5, EV -0.7, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
When you visit Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, it becomes obvious why Edward Weston loved this place. You could easily spend your life exploring the weathered rocks, crashing surf and tidal pools at water’s edge. Nikon D810, Aperture Priority, ISO 160, 1/200 at f/16, EV -0.7, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 19mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
As if the shoreline wasn’t enough, just back from there you’ll find areas like the Cypress Grove Trail to explore. Nikon D810, Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/3200 at f/5, EV -1.3, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens at 32mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
McWay Falls is one of the most popular sights at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Nikon D810, Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/160 at f/25, EV -0.7, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 20mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
We didn’t find any jade at Jade Cover, but then we were too busy making beautiful photos to look. For this water-blur photo I did use a ten-stop neutral density filter. Nikon D5500, Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 13-seconds at f/18, EV -0.3, Nikkor 10-24mm f/4 lens at 19mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Pfeiffer Beach has been a favorite of mine since our family camped there ten years ago. I’m always drawn to the patterns found in the sand. Nikon D5500, Aperture Priority, ISO 250, 1/160 at f/5.6, EV -0.3, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens at 70mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Leaving Pfeiffer Beach we found these curious horses in a field next to the road. Nikon D810, Aperture Priority, ISO 320, 1/40 at f/5.6, EV -0.3, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
The Arboretum at UCSC in Santa Cruz offers many trails through their beautiful collections of plants and trees. I added an extension tube to my lens to get this close. Nikon D5500, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/200 at f/9, EV 0.0, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens at 65mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park includes a massive stand of these old-growth monsters. Nikon D810, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/60 at f/6.3, EV -0.3, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Surrounding the giant redwoods is a lush forest full of ferns and moss, not to mention a few lichen. Nikon D5500, Aperture Priority, ISO 400, 1/80 at f/5.6, EV -2.0, Nikkor 10-24mm f/4 lens at 10mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
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