Category: Half Moon Bay

Categories
Events Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay Airport

Dream Machines

I just happened to notice that this Sunday, April 30, is the Dream Machines festival at Half Moon Bay Airport. They call it the “Coolest Show on Earth” and it is something to see – a very unique event. I’ve gone a couple of times in the past and always find lots of curiousities to explore – including old vehicles, steam engines, old airplanes, and more.

This year they’re bringing in a B-17 Bomber “Ye Olde Pub” and one of my favorites, a North American P-51D Mustang Fighter. They will be selling rides in both aircraft.

Here’s a recent takeoff video of a P-51 taking off from Grass Valley. The sound of that Merlin engine is unique and always a thrill!

A couple of times during the day they’ll be doing this: Bob Senz’ Big Crazy Cacklefest – A Mass Synchronized Firing-up of the Engines of All the Motorized Mechanical Marvels to Honor Show Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Bob Senz

More details about Dream Machines can be found here. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, you’ll enjoy seeing this very unique event. Another tip: you can save a few dollars on the cost of tickets by buying online in advance. Seniors (like me!) get the best discounted price.

Categories
Black and White Half Moon Bay iPhone 11 Pro Max Monochrome Photography Photography Photography - Black & White

Ocean View

Here’s an example of the kind of both photography and photo editing that I’ve been doing using my iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Heading south from Half Moon Bay on Highway 1 a couple of miles on the right is Miramontes Point Road which heads down to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and, along the way, a parking turnout for coastal access to a paved walkway that winds through a golf course to a cliff area above Manhattan Beach.

On a recent overcast morning, I parked my car at the turnout and walked on a portion of this walkway where, along the way, it crossed a bridge which spanned a creek leading out to the beach. I used the built-in Camera app in the iPhone 11 Pro Max to make this initial photo:

I liked the framing that the tree provided but also, being a street photographer at heart, wanted to better capture the sole individual walking along the beach in the distance. So I switched to the telephoto lens on the iPhone 11 Pro Max and made this photo:

I found the composition of this image intriguing and opted to process it in black and white to remove some of the distraction of the colors – especially the green vegetation in the lower right. Using both the Photos app on my iPhone 11 Pro Max along with the Snapseed app I made this edited and framed version of that image:

As it turns out, I completely cropped out the lower portion of the image to remove all of the distracting vegetation and to better isolate the beach walker at the top of the image. I also removed the distant sky and much of the ocean to better balance the image.

It is amazing just how much fun photography on the iPhone is with the capabilities of these recent models! Being able to make images and edit them anywhere on my phone is a delight.

Categories
Black and White Half Moon Bay iPhone 11 Pro Max Monochrome Photography Photography Photography - Black & White

Back to Fitzgerald

One of my favorite places to visit for a peaceful quiet time is the forest area at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach, California – just north from Half Moon Bay along Highway 1. I especially enjoy visiting Fitzgerald’s forest on overcast mornings – there’s something special about the soft light that adds to the moodiness of the place. Most days there aren’t others around – making the stillness and solitude of this location a real joy. With all of the current hubbub around the coronavirus outbreak, this was a wonderful place to just get away and enjoy some time outside and alone!

Here’s an image I made on a recent overcast morning visit using my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Edited in the Photos app and Snapped on my iPhone.

Below is another image made at Fitzgerald – this time looking 180 degrees behind where I was standing for the image above. This image was made with my Fujifilm X100V.

Categories
Half Moon Bay iPhone 11 Pro Max Libraries Monochrome Photography Photography

Start ‘em up!…at Pillar Point Harbor

Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay

This morning I was at one of my favorite spots along the Pacific coast in Half Moon Bay for today’s high tide. This was supposed to be an unusually high tide and I was hoping for some dramatic wave photographs – but, alas, there was no wind and the wave action was minimal.

So instead of making ocean wave photographs, I was walking back to my car and came across this fisherman launching his small boat out into the harbor. He had just finished mounting a small outboard motor on the stern and was plugging the start cord as I made this photograph. I liked the monochrome treatment of the image and is really shows off the dramatic contrast between the sun’s glow on the water in the harbor and the boatman and his board getting ready to go.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and want a lovely place to walk (or cycle) be sure to head for Pillar Point Harbor and take a walk on the paved pathway that heads south to Surfer Beach. It’s a bit over a mile walk down and back with some of the most beautiful beachfront along this section of the Pacific coast!

If you’re looking for more outdoor adventure, head a few miles north to Moss Beach along Highway 1 and the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. The Reserve’s combination of high cliffs along the ocean and some dramatic forest makes for another great walk. Or, if you’re more in the mood for a coffee or a nice meal, head south along Highway 1 and then on to Main Street in Half Moon Bay where you’ll find that kind of thing along with more places to explore. And if you just want some quiet time, the Half Moon Bay Library is a delightful place to just “hang”, read and relax quietly. This combination of outdoor, exercise, or quiet time doesn’t get much better than in Half Moon Bay!

Here’s another tip: Sam’s Chowder House is just above the pathway along Pillar Point Harbor. Sam’s operates two webcams (SamCams) from the top of the restaurant which provide a quick way to see what’s happening along the beachfront that can help you make a decision about visiting.

Categories
Half Moon Bay iPhone 11 Pro Living Photography

Local Treasures: Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (San Mateo County)

When I’m looking for an hour of peace and quiet one of my favorite places to visit is Fitzgerald Marine Reserve along the shoreline of the Paciifc Ocean north of Half Moon Bay.

This morning I took a walk through my favorite part of the Reserve – a grove of old trees along a pathway that leads from Moss Beach to the ocean. I took a few photos along the way with my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I’m loving the three lens/camera system in this new phone!

Walking Loop at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

The entrance to a section of the California Coastal Trail is off Cypress Avenue. Just a short walk leads to this:

A few steps to the left through the tree line leads to this view:

Walking up the trail it’s worth taking a look back at that same fallen tree!

Here’s another from further along on the path:

I then headed over to the coastline trail where the ocean was alive with the waves from the storm.

And my final view before heading back up Cypress Street to my car:

A lovely hour or so away from it all! I encountered one other human along the trail. Otherwise it was a delightful morning stroll in one of my favorite spots along the Pacific coastline!

Categories
Books Half Moon Bay Living Photography Photography - Fujifilm X-T1 Quotations

Less but better.

Less But Better

I’ve been enjoying reading Greg McKeown‘s new book “Essentialism” – and, after listening to the beginning, put together this image suitable for desktop or screen saver use. It’s a shot made in the kitchen at the James Johnston House in Half Moon Bay – and was one that seemed to focus on the essential!

Here’s a link to Greg’s book and perhaps an easier to download version of my image on Flickr.

Categories
Fujifilm X100S Half Moon Bay Lightroom Photography Photography - Fujifilm X100S Photoshop CC

Sunshine at Princeton Harbor in Half Moon Bay

Sunshine - Princeton Harbor - 2013

This is one of those images that just pops for me. Doug Kaye and I were out exploring Half Moon Bay and environs. Along the way we walked out on the pier at Princeton Harbor – as the sun was beaming down on these fishing boats.

This was shot with my Fujifilm X100S – a superb camera – and tweaked in Lightroom 5, VSCO Film, and Photoshop CC.

Categories
Fujifilm X100S Half Moon Bay Lightroom Photography Photography - Fujifilm X100S VSCO Film

That Beetle at Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay

Beetle - Princeton Harbor - 2013

A few weeks back, Doug Kaye and I met up for lunch at Pasta Moon in Half Moon Bay and then headed our for some early afternoon photography along the Pacific coast.

One of the places we stopped was the Pillar Point Harbor area of Half Moon Bay – the home of a large fishing fleet that plies the Pacific for great seafood. I had my Fujifilm X100S rangefinder camera in hand as we walked out on the pier. We took lots of shots of the fishing boats – but this Volkswagen caught my eye – such a top notch example of that car line!

This image was post-processed in Lightroom 5 – cropped and then treated to a bit of VSCO Film emulation to enhance the color.

Categories
Fujifilm X100S Half Moon Bay Lightroom Photography Photography - Fujifilm X100S Photoshop CC

The San Giovanni

San Giovanni - Pillar Point Harbor - 2013

As Doug Kaye and I were walking out on the pier at Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay, I was drawn to the combination of the angle of the sunlight on the bow of these two fishing boats along with the yellow color of the closest boat (the “Sunshine”). I shot the image with my Fujifilm X100S.

In this version of the image, I’ve exaggerated both the color and the glow – through application of a cinematic toning in Lightroom. The highlights have a bit more orange in them than normal while the shadows have a bit more blue. The combination gives a film-style cinematic effect.

I then brought the image into Photoshop CC and added an Oil Paint layer at about 50% opacity to add some additional texture/shadows into the image. Finally, a 50 pixel black frame around the image to keep your eyes inside.

Categories
Black and White Fujifilm X100S Half Moon Bay Monochrome Photography Photography Photography - Black & White Photography - Fujifilm X100S VSCO Film

The Old Pier at Pillar Point Harbor

The Old Pier - Princeton Harbor - 2013

Yesterday, Doug Kaye and I met for lunch at Pasta Moon in Half Moon Bay (a wonderful spot – highly recommended!) and then headed north up Highway 1 to explore some of our favorite spots along the Pacific coast.

We first headed to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at Moss Beach – where an amazing grove of trees creates a tunnel that continues to delight.

Next we headed back south down Airport Road to the Princeton harbor area. One of the views from that end of the harbor looks out on this old pier jutting out into the bay. I shot this image with my Fujifilm X100S while standing on the beach. I converted it to monochrome using VSCO Film 04’s Agfa Scala 200 and then applied a touch of Topaz Simplify 4 to smooth out the water and sand just a bit – something I often find helps these kinds of water shots.