Out & About

I love to go on road trips with my husband and the little lass, my dog Céilidh.  We pack the car up with photography equipment, gas up and decide north or south?  When we head north, the trip almost always involves driving into the town of Pescadaro.  There is a wonderful little thrift shop there where we find books and other treasures and the money raised goes to help the children of the South Coast.  They run a beautiful shop, clean and filled with quality items for a fair price. Read more about the good work they do by clicking on this link - http://www.southcoastchildren.org/thrift-shop/.

As we drive along Cabrillo Highway, I see so many Red-tailed Hawks that I am forever getting Rich, my husband, to pull over so I can jump out and get that perfect shot.  In the morning light, I look for them on the water's side.  The late afternoon light demands I photograph them on the land side of the road, always keeping the sun to my back. They are quick to fly as soon as you open the car door however, so it takes patience and many a wasted shot with only part of the bird in the frame.

When we go north, it's almost always to Moss Landing and there I find playful otters, Great Egrets and Cow Egrets which are smaller and have prettier feet.

Some days it's a trip to Capitola where the beauty of the Jewel Box houses on the beach never ceases to fill up my eyes with their vibrant colors.  I love that Capitola Beach is dog friendly and has many little restaurants where you can eat outside and my wee dog is welcomed.  Santa Cruz is sadly lacking in such facilities although they have loosened up a bit by allowing dogs on Pacific Garden Mall.

I also love to drive up to Long Marine Lab and see if I can find a bobcat stalking its prey in the fields that surround the Seymour Center.  One day I was following a Red-tailed Hawk as it flew from one building to the next.  It landed in the trees in front of the Seymour Center and I watched in amazement as a Humming Bird kept buzzing it.  It turns out she had a nest in the tree and was fiercely protecting her baby.  Unfortunately her courage didn't stop the Hawk from getting the baby, nest and all, as you can see in the photo I took.   

Near to Natural Bridges, I discovered a newly fledged Peregrine Falcon perched in a dead tree. That was the same year I photographed a Peregrine in a palm tree on Beach St.  

I loved the whale watching trip I booked through Stagnaros.  It was a really windy day and the choppy water caused the boat to go up the wave and drop suddenly, making many people sea sick.  I used to own a 28-foot fishing boat and fished commercially two miles out in the Atlantic when I lived in Canada.  I am used to rough weather but it wasn't easy holding steady with just my legs, grasping my camera with both hands.  It was so worth it though and the crew made sure we were able to spend enough time to get some good shots of the Killer Whales.

I love my adopted home and hope you enjoy the photos I am posting and please feel free to ask me any technical questions about my camera settings and I will do my best to answer you.