Best Big Sur Photograph of 2013

Best 2013 photograph of Big Sur. The results are in. Come check it out.

You have spoken; the results are in.  You have chosen your favorite Big Sur photograph from 2013.  And the voting for first and second place was very close.  But this is your your clear favorite – Pfeiffer Beach Tunnel.

peiffer-beach-tunnel-131105

Pfeiffer Beach is always exciting in winter when the sun’s rays penetrate the tunnel as the waves come roaring through.  It’s exhilarating to say the least.  I chose this one from the scores that I shot that afternoon because, in addition to the golden glow the rays cast on the inside walls of the tunnel, the water appears as a wall about to sweep through.  It’s the moment right before the explosion.  You can sense the power about to be unleashed.

For a limited time you can purchase a gorgeous 16X20 gallery-warp canvas of this beautiful photograph on Fine Art America for only $70.  That’s a 30% discount from the regular price.  But hurry, this offer ends at 5:00 PM Pacific Time on July 3, 2014 and there are only five canvases available at this sharply reduced price.  Check out this special offer.

“So, what was the close second?” you ask.  I don’t think you’ll be surprised when you see it – another display of awesome power.

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Ansel Adams – The Making of 40 Photographs: Rock and Surf

Insight into the way Ansel Adams made the photograph “Rock and Surf” and some thoughts on photographing the surf.

I was fortunate to be in Big Sur last week photographing that magnificent coast with the members of our workshop.  Ansel Adams made some beautiful photographs here as did, of course, Edward Weston.  An increasingly common technique used by photographers is to employ a neutral density filter to get very long exposures that turn the ocean into a sea of ethereal mist.  Many of these photographs are incredibly beautiful.  Personally, I connect with the power and energy of the ocean, something these beautiful photographs do not capture.

Adams’ technique was to stop the motion in of the surf as in this photograph titled “Rock and Surf.”  Freezing the water was essential to the effectiveness of the composition.

rock and surf

Rock and Surf (1951)
Ansel Adams

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