Big Sur Afternoon

Posted by Don Smith (California, United States) on 19 May 2009 in Landscape & Rural.

So who says one can't photograph in the middle of the day? In reality, when atmospheric conditions are cooperating, beautiful images can be captured - at almost any hour.

This is a scene one would expect to find on a typical summer's day along the Big Sur coast. However, I captured this image while teaching a private lesson a couple weeks ago at approximately 1:30pm. The marine layer was extremely low (probably due to an inversion layer) and there were these surrealistic stratus clouds hovering above creating beautiful radiating diagonal lines. The small rainbow was the result of sunlight diffracting through ice crystals. I first spotted the tiny bow because I was wearing polarized sunglasses as I emerged from my car. To the naked eye the bow was not visible; however, once I turned the polarizer on my lens, it reappeared. Also (and don't tell Gary Hart a.k.a. the tripod cop) this image was captured hand held.

I photographed this image from a turnout off Highway 1 just south of Hurricane Point looking south towards the Point Sur.

My Website: "how to" articles, galleries, stock photos, and more...
www.donsmithphotography.com

Software Discounts:
Photomatix Pro 4.0 type in code at checkout: donsmithphotography 15% discount
Nik Software type in code at checkout: DSMITH 15% discount
Topaz Software type in code at checkout: SMITHPHOTO 10% disount
Helicon Focus 15% discount

Hardware Discounts:
Think Tank Photo Gear
Promote Control

vfxy Photoblogs | Cool Photoblogs | Listed on Photoblogs.org