California Travel Photography on Hwy 1
Before I was ever any particular ‘kind’ of photographer (i.e.: portrait photographer, commercial photographer, etc) I have always been just a photographer. Someone who just has to drag my camera around and take pictures of the world around me. I guess that makes me a travel photographer too. Lately I haven’t been able to get away to do enough of that, I’ve actually been in kind of a creative funk. So I was thrilled to be able to enjoy a little me time with my camera Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Nothing breaks a creative funk like a road trip. Travel photography is actually one of my favorite things to do. I vow to go do it a bunch more.
Traveling the back way North of San Francisco is wonderfully barren of traffic and rich with farms, vineyards, sheep, cows, oak and eucalyptus trees and currently, a plethora of beautiful yellow mustard. I haven’t seen the mustard in California for a good 8 years, having been living in the South and all, but I am here for it now, and I am so happy. The rain this year has helped give the fields this intense green color that is so beautiful in the winter.
I wanted to share some of the landscapes with you, the ones I grew up with. This is how I remember California, and what I used to long for when I was away.
First night, at Land’s End in San Francisco by the old Sutro Baths, I happened upon this lovely sunset.
Up the hill just a tad, looking down upon the baths, you can see out at the very edge on the left of the big pool where I was standing when I took the shot above.
The next morning, as I set off on Hwy 1, I came upon this abandoned house that is in the middle of a horse field. The horses were missing today. I wonder if they ever wish they could go in side? I do. I love to see the inside of abandoned homes. I did not try to get in there though. I was good. See the halo on my head?
It was a very happy thrill to see the mustard in bloom. A sign that Spring is almost here. I forgot that in California, Spring starts in February.
And then there are the trees and rolling hills… California nirvana.
You can not be on Highway 1 without passing ocean and surfers at some point along the journey. It’s a California classic, so I made it black and white. Heh.
Really enjoyed seeing your heart home. I wish you were living in that old house, loving it back to life. Sitting on that porch with a grandgirl on your lap. Letting her feed sugar cubes to the horses.
What a sweet vision! Thank you Kim. I hope North Carolina life is going well for you. You must be aching for Spring back there.