Patrick Smith Photography: Featured Galleries and Collections

Website_Use - 2100x1400

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Mon, 09 May 2011 05:35:29 GMT

]]>This gallery contains photos sized at 2100h x 1400x, perfect for web developers to use on websites. Each photo is made to look its best at this resolution or smaller and can be used on a single website. If you as a developer wish to use the same photo on more than one website project, simply buy another inexpensive copy. Each photo took a considerable amount of time, planning and effort to capture. Price: US $9.95

The State of California website has been featuring my photos for the past year.
http://www.ca.gov/

California - Big Sur North

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:01:56 GMT

]]>This especially rugged coastline rises from the sea to over 5,000 ft. elevation just a few miles inland. The geography creates some outstanding seascapes of grand proportions and some interesting rock formations as well. This stretch of coastline extends from Garrapata State Park in the north to Pfeiffer Beach in the south.

California - Big Sur South

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:13:31 GMT

]]>This rugged coastline gradually gives way to a more graceful look as you travel south from Big Sur. Some areas have truly surreal rock formations. There are still some outstanding seascapes of grand proportions to be seen. This stretch of coastline extends from just south of Pfeiffer Beach in the North to just north of Santa Barbara in the south. If you look at latitude, the exact center of the California Coast is actually in Santa Cruz, but with so many climate zones, it is easier to just declare the Central Coast to range from Big Sur and south.

California - Contra Costa County

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:16:46 GMT

]]>Although many hundreds of thousands of people live here, there is an extensive network of regional parks and open space areas which make for excellent hiking and landscape photography opportunities. Mt Diablo, rises nearly 4,000 feet above the surrounding area and provides excellent views as well as being an iconic subject all its own

California - East San Francisco Bay

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:30:08 GMT

]]>This is a heavily populated area, yet much of the coastline is preserved as open space. There are plenty of wide open vistas along the waterfront that are superb locations for landscape and seascape photography. Most people go here for the sunsets, but sunrise is also good for pointing away from the sun to show how the morning light illuminates the bridges and Mountains of Marin County.

California - Golden Gate Bridge Area

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:16:50 GMT

]]>The Golden Gate Bridge is such an icon that most people think that there is no way to capture an original image of it. But with a lot of climbing, hard work and a bit of luck, it is possible. There are many difficult-to-reach vantage points that are much better for landscape photography than the numerous tourist spots where everybody congregates, if you don't mind scrambling down crumbling cliff sides in the dark that end abruptly with a 300 foot plunge to the ocean below! Also, it is possible to anticipate rare fog and tidal conditions that may happen only a few times per year. Those are the moments you never see in postcards. I am always on the lookout for those moments.

California - Humboldt County

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:44:06 GMT

]]>This region is known worldwide for it's ancient Redwood forest, but it also has a dramatic coastline with lots of cliffs, lagoons, rocky islands and sandy beaches. Low tide is especially nice on many beaches in this region.

California - Los Angeles Area

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:18:24 GMT

]]>This is a very heavily populated area, but along the coast there are piers and lots of wide beaches which are perfect subjects for wide angle photography under the right lighting conditions. I like to keep people out of my images so that the viewer feels a though he or she is the only one in that peaceful moment. Creating that feeling can be a challenge in Southern California, but it is still possible as you can see below.

California - Marin County - Landscapes

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:18:04 GMT

]]>Although the east coast of the Marin County peninsula is populated, the west side has been reserved for open space, ranching and park land. So many opportunities exist here for landscape photography. For now, I've mostly concentrated on Mt. Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands due to the dynamic views of the fog that flows under the cliffs and ridges. I have only touched the surface of what is possible here.

California - Marin County - Seascapes

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:17:06 GMT

]]>Marin County sits along the San Andreas fault, and as a result it has some rugged coastlines and steep mountains backing the sea. There is also a nice gap in the hills at the Golden Gate, where the fog flows inland. These conditions result in some fine photographic opportunities if you know where and when to look for them A landscape photographer could spend an entire lifetime here and still have more to see.

California - Monterey - Carmel - Pt. Lobos

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:48:03 GMT

]]>This has been the home of famous photographers such as Edward, Cole and Brett Weston, Ansel Adams, Morley Baer, and others. Currently there are several high quality photo studios in the area. And for good reason. This place is extremely photogenic and close to other scenic areas. It is a perfect place to live of you are a photographer or other artist or writer.

California - San Diego Area Seascapes

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:30:17 GMT

]]>he San Diego area coastline is populated along nearly it's entire stretch, but the sandstone cliffs and bluffs along the sea are extremely beautiful in shape, color and form. And they look different depending on tidal and lighting conditions. It is easy to exclude most buildings and even people, which creates a sense of unspoiled nature and how it must have been here before humanity made this place home.

California - San Francisco - City, Seascapes

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:16:34 GMT

]]>The position of the hilly and densely populated city on the end of a peninsula near the Golden Gate makes for a never-end variety of landscape photography opportunities. The vertical nature of the architecture and streets is a landscape in and of its own. It will take many years to even scratch the surface. It is rare that a city blends in so well into the landscape since most large cities are built on flat ground.

California - San Mateo County

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:16:20 GMT

]]>n some ways, this stretch of coastline gets overlooked despite being within a 1 hour drive (with good traffic) for more than 7 million people. Most people head to Santa Cruz and south, or Marin County and north on the weekend. But this is a very scenic and quiet stretch of the California coast with endless opportunities for some good landscape photography.

California - Santa Barbara Area

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:50:14 GMT

]]>This area is generally regarded as the northernmost portion of Southern California. It is amazing how as you drive north from here, the landscape changes radically into the Central California look. Another element that contributes to the change in the landscape is how the coastline abruptly curves to the east as you drive south. So the coastline in San Diego winds up being further east than Reno Nevada. This makes for warmer weather in general as you move east and south as the coast gets sheltered from the near constant northwest winds. This also means that the waves get much smaller and the coastline gets less dramatic. But there are still lots of scenic places for landscape photography along the coast and elsewhere.

California - Santa Cruz County

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:45:45 GMT

]]>Although this area is considered to be in Northern California, it actually sits exactly halfway between the northern-most portion of California and the Southern Border. But the cold summer ocean temperature supports huge kelp beds under the water and foggy redwood forests in the mountains. Inland though it is hot and dry for much of the year. Sometimes the winter ocean is warmer than during the summer! The coastline is full of arches and incredible sandstone formations, which make for great landscape and seascape photographs. And the surf can be huge, which also is good for photography and surfing too.

California - Sonoma, Mendocino Coast

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:17:32 GMT

]]>Big surf and lots of interesting cliffs and rock formations make this place a paradise for landscape and seascape photography. It can be a rather remote place so I have a lot of work to do. It would take many lifetimes to fully explore this stretch of coastline.

California - Yosemite

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:48:35 GMT

]]>Although this is one of the best known parks in the world, and famous photographers have seemingly photographed every square inch of it, there are still lots of opportunities to see the park in a new light. Not only does the weather change dramatically, but the rivers, snow and ice are different every day. On a partly cloudy day, you can shoot almost all day. The sheer cliffs mean that the sun is always rising and setting off of one cliff or another every minute. Also, the clouds often enshroud the granite faces, making each photograph unique. And there seems to be an endless number of ways to compose every scene.

June 8, 2009 - These are the first two in the series. I have many more to process.

Hawaii - Big Island

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:28:27 GMT

]]>This island is much larger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined. It is incredibly diverse, from deserts, to tropical rain forest, to alpine skiing, it has it all. It is also a great place to photograph, though often you must get up before sunrise for the best views!

Hawaii - Kauai - Hanalei to Napali

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:27:37 GMT

]]>This area receives anywhere between 100-150 inches of rain per year, but it is usually partly cloudy and still has lots of sunshine for landscape photography. The eroded lava cliffs provide stunning vistas and backdrops for memorable images. Even though this area is only about 10 miles long, it would take many years to photograph it all. And even then, every view is different every day.

Hawaii - Kauai - Kilauea to Poipu

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:53:01 GMT

]]>This area covers a wide variety of climates and terrain. Hawaii is not all about sandy palm lined beaches you know! Kilauea in the north gets nearly 80 inches of rain per year while some areas near Poipu in the south get below 10 inches. This results in a wide variety of beaches and landscapes and gives landscape photographers an endless variety of subjects. The light in Hawaii as a whole is excellent year round. The trade winds blow cumulus clouds over the islands allowing warm filtered light to reach the surface, especially at sunrise or sunset. It is usually partly cloudy so a short wait is all that is required for conditions to change. In California, it can be clear for months at a time so the light is usually good only in the winter.

Hawaii - Maui West and South

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:53:00 GMT

]]>Maui is nearly two islands, each one having a volcano at the center. West Maui has the older volcano and is more eroded while East Maui has the newer Haleakala, which is over 10,000 feet above sea level. The two virtual islands are joined by a low and flat saddle of land. The north part of each side gets the most rain, while the south and east portions get under 10 inches annually. There are few black sand beaches on the west side, but lots of volcanic rock remains at the shoreline. The west and south sections of these two virtual islands are dry because they are in the rain shadow of the volcanos.

Hawaii - Maui East

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:52:49 GMT

]]>The east side of the island is dominated by Haleakala, which rises over 10,000 feet above sea level. It occasionally gets snow at the top. The prevailing northeast trade winds pile up clouds along the north and east slope of the volcano creating a very wet environment. This creates lots of opportunities for spectacular light for photography. This side also features black and red sand beaches, which make conditions challenging for getting good exposures due to the difference between the dark beach and the bright sky. But the difficulty makes for opportunity!

Mexico - Isla Mujeres

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:52:31 GMT

]]>This is a small island located a few miles offshore from Cancun, Mexico. The pace of life is slow and the ocean is well lit and beautiful. Perfect for seascape photography. Every few years, a major hurricane strikes and created some truly rugged looking shoreline that contrasts to the long sandy beaches that exist on the more sheltered portions of the island.

Mexico - Chichen Itza

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:20:47 GMT

]]>his iconic place is usually crowded with people, but just before the evening show the crows are light and the light is good. I have other images, which I may add to this page later.

Other Places and Things

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:43:22 GMT

]]>While I specialize in landscape photography of specific places, I will place other photographs that I like on this page. Sometimes they will be photographs of an area where I do not have enough for a full gallery page. Other times, they may be of other things or creations.

Oregon

patrick@patricksmithphotography.com (Patrick Smith Photography) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:51:44 GMT

]]>The Oregon Coast is dramatic, with beaches that range from small coves to endless stretches of perfect sand. The images below are just the first of many that I will capture in the future.