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03-25-2016, 04:14 PM   #1
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So We're in Monterey...

We're in Monterey and I have all day tomorrow alone with my K3-II and a car. Any suggestions for great scenic photo shots?

03-25-2016, 05:06 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kath Quote
We're in Monterey and I have all day tomorrow alone with my K3-II and a car. Any suggestions for great scenic photo shots?
Point Lobos, Monastery Beach and the monastery, Cannery Row and Monterey Harbor, Santa Cruz rocks north of downtown, Moss Landing fishing harbor, south to Big Sur State Park and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Drive swiftly and wisely.
03-25-2016, 05:45 PM   #3
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Depends on what time of the day. Unfortunately Pt Lobos kicks you out before sunset, so unless you get some very moody lighting, it's scenic but not photogenic.

I personally love Garrapata State beach which is only 15 minutes or so south. If you are feeling adventurous, there's a beautiful rocky cove at the right tides can be fun, but its a steep SLIDE down and CLIMB back up, last time I was there. The State Beach area itself is something like 10 miles long with several unmarked turnouts, each one has something unique about it.

I also love the Elkhorn Slough area for wildlife (otters/cormorants/gulls/sea lions), north of Monterey. There is a tour at 10a(?) everyday that is just awesome. sometimes you get within 30 feet of rafts of otters.

Stay away from 17 mile drive unless you just want to oogle the houses. They really discourage setting up a tripod!....lol

If I had one day, I'd do Elkhorn Slough Tour in am, catch a whale tour around noon, grab some food and head to garrapata for sunset. Although, this time of year, you may have to skip the whale boat with the early sunset.

Unfortunately the Big Sur tour is realistically out of the question, it's mainly 25 MPH windy road and you end up 3 hours out of town (if you come back via the inland 101) at the south end. You also don't have an escape route once you start, so you pretty much have to continue most of the way south. With photo stops its almost 6 hours one way to Pfeiffer Burns and/or McWay Falls.

Here is my actual itinerary for my late april trip 2014 with stop times. This was starting from south end, but you can see the travel times between stops and the fact this was a 12 hour day BEFORE I set up for sunset:

(Arrive 7a) Salmon Creek Falls – 1:15 Hike and Photo Time (Depart 8:15a)
(Arrive 9a) Limekiln Falls - :40 from Salmon Creek Falls – 2:30 Hike and Photo Time (Depart 11:30a)

(Skip – Pfeiffer State BEACH & Partington Cove)

(Arrive 12:30p) Lunch – Big Sur Bakery :20 North of Pfeiffer SP – 1:00 Lunch Break (Depart 1:30p)
(Arrive 2p) Pfieffer SP/McWay & Canyon Falls - :20 from Limekiln SP / :20 SOUTH of Lunch – 2:30 Hike and Photo Time (Depart 4:30p)
(Arrive 5p) Andrew Molera SP - :25 from McWay Falls – 1:30 Max Allowed Time (Depart 6:30p)
(Arrive 7p) Garrapta SP North (Gate 7) - :25 from Molera SP – Hike and Photo Time 1:30 (Depart 8:30p)


The last time I did a photo trip I needed sunrise to sunset in each direction to hit different objectives over TWO days and I still missed about 50% of potential stops.
Cannery Row has the aquarium, which is cool but for hardcore photography doesn't yield much.

OH and for dinner, if you get a chance the Fish Hopper restaurant has some of the best chowder in the entire city. But there's also a neat little hole in the wall place just across from the intersection of Hwy 1 and Rio Blvd, which is the road I take to get out of the city if heading south, called the Rio Grill (in crossroads common). Awesome owner and eclectic food. I stop there on occasion before or after Garrapata, depending on the time of year (time of sunset).

Last edited by nomadkng; 03-25-2016 at 06:10 PM.
03-25-2016, 05:52 PM   #4
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Laguna Seca raceway :-)

03-25-2016, 06:56 PM   #5
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Rocky beach at North Soberanes is something I would recommend: From the turnout at mile marker 66, there are two trails, a main trail to the ocean and a smaller trail to the cliffs.Take the main trail, get down to the beach by climbing down real carefully as it can be slippery, if you are not nimble shoot from the cliff without going down to the rocky beach. Take pictures of the sea stacks especially if you have an ND filter to slow down the waves. This is also a great sunset location to shoot from the cliff without getting down:


Go to mile marker 59 for the Bixby Bridge shot or a little further for the the view from Hurricane Point with Bixby Bridge in the distance:

Go to McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer State Park which is by the roadside:
03-25-2016, 10:26 PM   #6
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What they said!

There is a reason why many of the greats of photography chose to make that region their home. There is a lot of depth in the landscape and even with several days, it is hard to do more than a superficial survey. If you have time, there are many places that are not far off the highway but are rich.


Steve
03-26-2016, 08:05 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kath Quote
I have all day tomorrow alone with my K3-II and a car
I can't add anything useful, but some lenses would help...

03-26-2016, 08:43 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by bertwert Quote
I can't add anything useful, but some lenses would help...
Hahaha! Already getting some good use of the 18-135 and 150-500. What a beautiful place!

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. Going to hop in the car and seek them out. Though, the place we're staying is right on the beach, so it's hard to pull myself away from that. Gorgeous sunsets and great seabirds!

Went to the aquarium yesterday...
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