California

Salton Sea California Drone Video and Aerial Photos

Salton Sea California Drone Video and Aerial Photos

Electric Blue Water Graveyard Sand

Southern California is a place of unbelievable environments that seemingly appear out of nowhere. Driving down the highway and there appears towering and endless sand dunes. Drive another direction and the desert gives way to a vast expanse of electric blue water surround by haunted white sand. See this, and you are looking at the Salton Sea. Saltier than the ocean, mysterious, and graveyards for beaches, the Salton Sea holds as much to view as it does to think about. Look closely at the beach photos below. The sand is made from infinite fish skeletons. There was a mile long line of these poor fish lying bleached in the sun. They get ground up and added to the granules of sand.

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Sea Lions of La Jolla California

Sea Lions of La Jolla California

Quality time with sea lions

Instantly the highlight of my trip to San Diego, California became a quick drive up the coast to La Jolla to spend time with all the sea lions there. I have only seen seals from distance in Monterey before. I heard in La Jolla you can get much closer, and that certainly was true! Most of these photos were made with just a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2 lens on a Nikon D7200. That’s only 300mm of effective focal length and I was able to get shots as up close as these.

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Cormorant of La Jolla California bird photography

Cormorant of La Jolla California bird photography

Get the background and the bird right

In La Jolla, California I was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to do bird photography. I knew there would be a chance for seal photos, but having birds also was great. I miss the bird photography I could do almost anywhere in Florida. Check out this anhinga for example. What makes a good bird photograph (or any photograph) assuming you have a good looking bird as the subject? Then for a bird photo to stand out it is a matter of having good light (it was only so-so in this shot) and having a good background. The latter made up for the former in the above shot with the creamy bokeh created by my Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2 lens. The blue in the bokeh is the Pacific Ocean.

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Imperial Sand Dunes of California Drone Video Aerial Photos

Imperial Sand Dunes of California Drone Video Aerial Photos

Awestruck by it all

Entering California from the southern route along I-8 out of nowhere appears Imperial Sand Dunes. I was awestruck by this true desert landscape of sand and dunes. I did not know the U.S. had a desert like this with golden sand one could confuse for being out in the Sahara. It was pure coincidence that upon leaving California to return to New Mexico the dunes were passed by at sunset time. I flew my Mavic Pro drone for some cinematic drone video and aerial photos, with still some time to tote my Nikon up a dune for some HDR and long exposure still photos from the ground. What a landscape this was!

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Big Sur California Drone Video

Big Sur California Drone Video

Beautiful Scenery, Basic Flying

I visited Big Sur, California soon after becoming a certified drone pilot with only a few flights of experience. I wish I had the cinematic drone flying skills I have now then! I never move the gimbal while flying, the drone is only moving in one direction all the time, save for an attempt at using active track on the rocks. Someday I will return to Big Sur and make a much better drone video!

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Malibu Sunset Fine Art Photograph For Purchase

Malibu Sunset Fine Art Photograph For Purchase

I long dreamt of Malibu, in particular its miles of coastline offering near infinite sunset views over the vast Pacific Ocean.  In December 2017 I got to fulfill that dream, but just for one sunset.  At least it was a great one and though it is a rare thing in life, expectations long daydreamed about were met and surpassed.  Some day I will get to see more sunsets in Malibu, perhaps even from my own back door.

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Malibu Coast Drone Photo Pacific Ocean in California

Malibu Coast Drone Photo Pacific Ocean in California

My brief time at Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu, California flying my DJI Mavic Pro drone was incredibly fruitful.  If I lived in Malibu I could produce nearly infinite drone photos of that stunning stretch of California coastline.  Of particular interest to me was that small cove of rocks, which I have remarked before looks like a secret cache of dinosaur eggs!  

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