Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird -- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II, 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO: 1250

Whenever I see a hummingbird in Northern California I start with the assumption that it's an Anna's and go from there.  Occasionally it will turn out to be something else, but Anna's are the most common hummingbirds around here.  I never tire of them, though.  They are such amazing creatures.

Anna's Hummingbird -- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II, 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO: 1250

Tree on a Cliff

Yosemite National Park, CA
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 1/80s, f/4.5, ISO: 500

How big do you suppose this tree will grow to be?  This little guy was growing on the side of a granite cliff near Yosemite Falls.

Guy?  Gal?  Dunno.

Anyway, I'm not sure how this little tree found this particular spot to grow.  There's just not much there.  You go, little tree.

Photo selection inspired by Geogypsy's Foto Friday Fun 103, photo #9247.

Pig Crossing

California State Route 1, Carmel, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i,  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/100s, f/5.6, ISO: 100

Pig?  Hog?  Boar?  Feral?  Wild?  Whatever.  Just keep your eyes out for pork on the road when you're driving through Carmel.

Headland Cove

Headland Cove, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i,  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/100s, f/8, ISO: 100

This is the shot that just keeps on giving.  I have a number of pictures from this exact location and I never tire of them.  The combination of the rocks, trees and water is unbeatable.  Sunset was close to 8:00 on this particular day and I shot this at around 5:00, so I wasn't getting a whole lot of help from the lighting.  A smidge, perhaps, it wasn't high noon after all, but not much.  My point isn't that I'm just that good--I'm getting better but I still have a long way to go-- it's that this particular location is just that good, especially in the afternoon.  You can't go wrong here as long as you remember to take your lens cap off.

It's an easy spot to find.  Park at or hike to Headland Cove then follow the trail to Sea Lion Rocks.  Follow the sound of barking sea lions if you can't read the signs.  About half way out there's a bench.  Stop there and look North.  Take pictures and amaze your friends.

China Cove

China Cove, Point Lobos State Nature Reserve, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i,  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/40s, f/5.6, ISO: 100

I like the late afternoon colors on this picture.  The green grass is nice, I suspect it will soon turn yellow.  I imagine Spring is the only time these particular colors can be seen at this spot.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i,  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/80s, f/6.3, ISO: 100

It's been a while since I've had a good photography outing.  No better place to dust off the cobwebs than at Point Lobos.  The only drawback is that the Point isn't very big and going off trail is strongly discouraged, so finding something completely new to photograph is sometimes a little difficult.  The animals help out a lot in that regard, and the ocean and the sky often have a lot drama going on, so shooting at the same locations from one visit to another doesn't mean the pictures will look the same.  In fact, that's part of the fun.  Even though I've got plenty of pictures at a few favorite spots I don't hesitate to hit them again.

Harbor Seals

Harbor Seal -- Moss Landing, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF-S 55-250mm IS II, 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO: 200

Elkhorn Slough is a great place for kayaking.  There's a lot of marine wildlife to see and getting out on the water puts one into their element.  Of course, a good distance has to be maintained away from the animals, still there's nothing like being in the same water with these seals, sea lions and sea otters.