California Trip April 2025
Flying to California for my medical appointments brought a wave of anticipation, not just for health reasons, but also for returning to my beloved central California coast and capturing it’s vibrant beauty! Armed with my new 12-100mm lens on the OM-1, I explored Morro Bay's iconic landscapes. The unpredictable fog, rugged coastline, and lazy elephant seals provided my inspiration. A few days later, back in the San Francisco Bay Area, as the sun dipped, I set my sights on the rising Pink Moon, casting it’s magical glow over the ridge line.
Each click of the shutter was a dance with light – the lens resolving beautifully the soft hues and dynamic contrasts of full daylight and the more challenging twilight. The trip was not just a medical necessity but hopefully also a creative voyage, blending personal care with artistic expression. The images captured during this fleeting journey will serve as a reminder of beauty amid challenges, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the American West in all its serene glory.
Long Billed Curlew among the busy Snowy Plover
Horseback riders appear through the fog.
Morro Strand beach on a very foggy day with two people riding horses on a foggy beach, with sand and some birds flying low near the shore.
A woman and a young boy standing on Morro Strand beach with foggy weather, the woman wearing a black hoodie, purple shorts, and a cap, while the boy is in a blue t-shirt and matching shorts, both barefoot near the water's edge.
Woman walking barefoot on Morro Strand beach, with clouds of mist in the background and distant mountains.
Silver Wings
A lone bird walking on a vast sandy beach with rippled patterns in the sand, and a hazy sky with some clouds in the background.
When the fog finally parted long enough for a view of Morro Rock
That's me capturing the next photo when Morro Rock was briefly revealed.
Harmony Glassworks
A large cow-themed statue of a cow with a red frisbee in its' mouth and a yellow horn, set outdoors in the small hamlet of Harmony, California against trees and a blue sky.
A woman with long dark hair, sunglasses, and a black shirt sitting at an outdoor wooden table, smiling, with a note, a smartphone, and a bag on the table, in front of a building with greenery and a sign that reads 'HARMONY VALLEY CREAMERY ASSN.'
A glass artist in a workshop, shaping molten glass in a furnace in Harmony, California..
HARMONY GLASS WORKS sign on a rustic building with weathered siding, a worker playing golf in the logo, and a small window, with palm trees in the background.
The Harmony pottery outlet-so many quality items! I bought some for gifting and some unique coffee mugs for us at home.
Backlit Agave
Close-up of a cluster of orange-red flowers against a black background.
Jellyfish on the beach
Coastal view from Cambria
Sunset over the ocean with the reflection on the water, sandy beach in the foreground, and green plants with white flowers at the bottom.
Piedras Blancas Lighthouse and Giant Rock-San Simon, California
Piedras Blancas Lighthouse
A black crow standing on a wooden surface near the ocean with a blurred shoreline and blue sky in the background.
Black and white photo of a crow perched on a fence with a blurred background.
A vulture soaring in a clear blue sky with its wings spread wide.
Flight of Brown Pelicans
Elephant Seals, San Simeon, California
Elephant Seal tossing sand on his body for sunscreen
Getting some sun
Cambria peacefully protesting
Protesters gather outdoors, holding flags and signs, including a Ukrainian flag and a sign that reads 'For Ukraine and Peace.' One person raises a flag, and there are several onlookers, including a woman with a dog, under a sunny sky with flags flying.
Your Move-San Simeon, California
San Francisco skyline from UCSF as my April shifts from the coast into medical gear.
Pink Moon rising, Moraga, California