|
|
Home  Traveler's Tales California Raining
|
Written by John Hindmarsh
|
|
Sunday, 16 April 2006 |
 At times, we all think or say – ‘The weather is just no good for taking photographs, so we might as well leave the camera behind’ - at home/the hotel/the B & B or whatever. Sometimes I fall victim to this self-delusion as well. And it is important to not succumb – there is no such thing as bad weather for photography!
Well, I might have to temper that claim slightly, time will tell. But let me give some examples.
I travel a lot. And I take photographs a lot, too. This last December [2005], I was in California just in time for record rain and floods – something like 12 inches of rain in the month and floods that covered most of the Napa Valley wine country. And my immediate reaction was to jump up and down and curse the elements – not that I expected to do any good, but it may have relieved some feelings of frustration.
Travel – whether local or international - with a lot of carry on gear is fraught at the best of times. You always have a concern that someone is going to say – when they catch sight of the large and probably overweight backpack – ‘Sorry sir, that will have to be checked in’ – in which case you immediately have nightmares about strangers pillaging your best camera, or indeed, your only camera, as the pack wanders alone through the mysterious nether regions of checked in luggage. When you depart the USA, Homeland Security advises that you should not lock your luggage. Any checked in, locked case may be forcibly unlocked and searched by Homeland Security, at least for international flights departing the country. Whether the lock will hold after that treatment is your risk. They do leave a polite note, though. And use plastic locking strips to seal each case after it has been searched.
This time I was traveling from Europe, and it was with some trepidation that I checked in at Heathrow. Fortunately the gods smiled on me and no one questioned the large Lowepro load that was bending my knees. The Gitzo tripod had been carefully packed in a suitcase that was efficiently checked in. Both the Lowepro and the Nikon 200-400mm lens in its own protective bag were carried onboard and stowed in the overhead bin without trouble. I was safely on my way.
California was damp and gray. It was more than damp, it was downright wet! I traveled from just south of Los Angels to north of San Francisco. My main focus [Ed: What an obvious pun] was the beaches and coastline; places like Hermosa Beach, Big Sur, Carmel, Cannery Row and Mendocino, all beckoned.
There were storm warnings, wind warnings, high surf warnings, high tidal river warnings and flood warnings. I think there were even warning warnings.
Those are the very conditions that can add excitement to your photography. The only caveat is – don’t put yourself at risk while trying to take that rushing tidal swoop of water, and don’t try to swim or drive in conditions that are obviously going to put you at risk. Avoid the thundering surf unless you are a top surfer and high waves hold thrills, not fears.
Hermosa Beach is very typical of southern Californian beaches. There are lifesaver facilities along the coast, net ball nets are either up or there are places to erect the nets, early morning joggers are out pacing their dreams of keeping fit, and pelicans are hang gliding along the moving waves, riding a cushion of air that they can sense and no one can see. Remarkable image opportunities.
Further up the coast, the roads are winding and for this trip, also were very wet, inviting a slide over the side of the cliff to the surf below, or threatening a landslide that would at the very least damage your vehicle or give you a push in a direction that you do not wish to travel. Big Sur was not the sunny, surf mecca of popular image; instead, it was a misty, occasionally storm swept highway and cloud covered hills. And there was crashing foam below to match the cloud topped hills above.
The Pacific Highway requires care at any time and when there is low cloud and heavy rain, it requires even more attention.
The sequence was drive for a while, and when the rain eased enough, pull over into a makeshift lay-by, and then photograph either pounding surf or the cloud covered hills. Either was exciting. And provided a continuing photographic challenge.
Mendocino coastline north of San Francisco was a rush. We found MacKerrichee State Park and explored. The surf was crashing in and some local and intrepid surfers were enjoying the conditions.
I was intrigued to see the seals enjoying the surfing company, although they were too far away even for the big telephoto lens to capture. I walked onto the beach and immediately backtracked when the wash rushed up to great me. My partner and I quickly backed off and found a small grass-covered knoll from which we could safely watch and photograph the action.
I use a Wimberly Sidekick for mounting the big lens on the tripod – it gives a balanced feel to the complete set of gear which weighs in – camera and lens – at ten pounds with totals length of 18 inches. This is not just a balanced feel – it provides finger tip control for panning, an especially handy feature when tracking surfers and other wildlife.
The big telephoto lens provides excellent resolution and the Nikon D2X, with shutter speeds at times at 1/4000 sec, froze those surfer moments. Even the Nikon 80 -200 mm lens found its place in the daily repertoire.
The only part of this wet and windy trip that defeated me was the redwood forest on the way to Mendocino. The tall, heavy-limbed trees shrouded the inner reaches, preventing light form penetrating. A polite Deputy Sheriff stopped to inquire if we were safe – the region had been swept by flood waters just a day before, and the evidence warned of possible bog holes and water soaked verges. We left without a good photograph of a redwood forest. An excuse for another trip, I think.
My conclusion? Wet weather provides ample opportunity for good photographic challenges – indeed, I added some good candidate stock images to my portfolio - so get out there and face the challenges, in the mist and rain.
Copyright © 2006 John Hindmarsh [Contact ] [Bio] |
|
Last Updated ( Sunday, 16 April 2006 )
|
|
|
