We have a Famiy wedding in southern Califonia in late June. After the wedding, we're headed to Big Sur, and the California. I live in So. Florida and have never been up the California coast. Want to capture Landscapes, but also any Wildlife birds, Seals, etc. Suggestions for best lens to take? I have from wide and also the 500mm and 300mm 2.8. Of the big lenses, which would anyone suggest? The 300 2.8 is easier to travel with and I have all the extenders. I don't know if there are really any good mammal locations or specially good birding locations near the coast and Northen Ca. Would really appreciate suggestions. Would like if Michael Mariant has any suggestions also. I do have some books and maps, but which lenses to bring
would really be useful. Also, would like to konw of any really great whaling trips from Big Sur North?
Thanks in advance.

Hello there,

You picked what could be a rough time of year to "see" Big Sur, as every June we get what's called "June Gloom", where a heavy marine layer of fog rolls in and pretty much keeps the coastline socked in all day. Sometimes it does burn off in the mid-afternoon, but can roll back in at sunset. And some years it doesn't show up until July! So it would be hit and miss when it comes to the weather.

Big Sur stretches from San Simeon in the south to Monterey in the north, with a scenic but vast emptiness in between. While only 80 miles roughly separate the two ends, it takes a full day to travel from one to the other, as the road is narrow, quite winding and hugs the cliffs for a good portion of the drive.

There is a concentration of sights in the southern end that are quite scenic yet less popular (mostly due to location away from population centers) and another concentration of sights in the northern end, near what is Big Sur "proper", where there are a cluster of lodging and dining establishments.

Mammals, such as seals, can be found in quite a few areas all throughout Big Sur. Plus, there are certain areas where you can see and have access to other type of marine life, such as Elephant Seals in the south end near San Simeon & Hearst Castle. Plus, as an added bonus, sometimes you can see the herd of wild zebra that roam the hills around Hearst Castle. No kidding!

I'm not much of a birder so I can't help you there ... sorry.

Which part of Big Sur were you planning on visiting? Since you mention a wedding in So. Cal, I assume you were going to head up Hwy. 1 through Big Sur, which would afford you the entire region to shoot. June can be a busy month, so I would recommend making lodging arrangements at one of the choices in the northern end. You can refer to the lodging list used on the Big Sur workshop description:
http://highsierraworkshops.com/workshops/big-sur-2012/

Lodging is not as difficult to get in San Simeon, but you also have additional options in Morro Bay and Cambria, just south of San Simeon. Another option for the north is Monterey, but in both of these cases (Morro Bay/Cambria and Monterey), it's a bit of a drive to get back into Big Sur.

If you can bring the 500mm and it's not a hassle, that will make for some nice shots. However, the 300mm with TCs would work fine, as well.

As for whaling outfits, you will find charters all along the Central California coastline at all the harbor towns, including Ventura, Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, and Monterey. Late June is a good time for seeing the migration.

If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be heading out for the Death Valley workshop and will be "off the grid" until the middle of next week, so I'll respond to any queries when I get back.

Cheers,
Michael

____________________________
Michael A. Mariant
Nikonians Academy Faculty
Master Your Vision Workshops

Mike and other comments are more then welcome.

Is it worth stopping at Morro Bay for birding? Or just start BIG Sur from San Simeon? I have a 300 2.8 which I'll bring and all extenders, also I have the 500 f 4.0 which I was going to leave home. If you were to bring one of these larger lenses, which one would you choose. Also, mainly will shoot landscapes. But, I am a wildlife animal photographer 1st, looking for Sea Otters, seals, whales on whale trips.
What do you think?

Morro Bay is a huge birding area. Except not in Morro Bay itself, but in the estuary just south of the city. Best bet to find the estuary is to follow Main Street out of town. Stop at the Natural History Museum just across from the golf course (look for the easy to spot signs). They have lots of information about wildlife and birds. And the road along the estuary starts right there.

Also stop in at the fishing docks portion of the harbor, directly across from the power plant. Drive down the Embarcadero to the three power plant towers and head out on to the dock just to the left of the Coast Guard offices/dock. You will find lots of seals, pelicans and other marine-based wildlife in this immediate dock area. (Also, some great food at Dockside (indoors) Restaurant or Dockside II (outdoors) Restaurant right there!)

If I didn't mention it before, just south of San Simeon, keep an eye out for the herd of wild zebra. Yep, zebra.

As for the gear, the 300 with a tele would be OK in the estuary, but a 500 would be best. In Big Sur, the 500 would be handy but not used as much, unless you come across some of the California Condors.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
Michael

____________________________
Michael A. Mariant
Nikonians Academy Faculty
Master Your Vision Workshops

Mike,
Thanks again for your reply. Next year I'd like to take one of your workshops. I am a CPA, so stuck in my office in tax season. If not for the June wedding, I would not come to Calif then, based on your June Gloom comment and my reading about it after your comments.
Phil

Zebra's,
Michael, Do you have a more specific area of where the Zebra herd might be located?
Gave you shot them, what lens if you did. How close can you get to them, via car or hike?
Thanks again,
Phil

Phil,

The zebras are wild zebras that were originally part of William R. Hearst's private collection of wild animals. Many decades ago, after Hearst died and the castle was in the hands of the family, they simply let the zebras run wild out on their expansive property.

Today, the herd is quite large (we've seen as many as 20 zebras once), usually intermingled with the thousands of heads of cattle that are on the Hearst Ranch. We have seen them in various sections of the ranch, ranging from immediately south of the town of San Simeon, to the ranch space directly north of the Elephant Seals (which is north of Hearst Castle and San Simeon). This is a stretch of about 10 miles.

The Hearst Ranch property is one of the largest landholdings in California, and the area that you might see the zebras is directly around San Simeon and Hearst Castle. You can ONLY shoot from Highway 1, as the property is private. So the closest you get can get is dictated by the fence on the side of the road where you pull over.

Since it really is a mixture of luck and a good set of eyes that result in seeing the zebras, the best lens is the one that works best. We've had best luck with seeing the herd in the large space that is immediately south of the the town of San Simeon (as in just a few hundred feet from the first turn-off/Motel 6). At that spot, when we've seen them, a 300mm has been good for nice shots of the herd, but a 500mm would allow you to isolate a single zebra, if that is of interest.

Hope that helps.

-M

____________________________
Michael A. Mariant
Nikonians Academy Faculty
Master Your Vision Workshops

Mike,
Another question for Big Sur landscapes. I have the 14-24, 24 1.4., 24-70 , 70-200VR ll.
Do you think that a tilt shift lens would make sense with either the D800E or D3S camera?
If so which one overall would be best, 24mm, 45mm, or another choice? I have never used a tilt/ shift so I also would have a learning curve.
Thanks again,
Phil

Phil,

Choosing a TS lens would be location-specific, and dictated purely on whether your eye sees a scene that would be best represented or depicted with a TS lens. That would be based purely on your creativity.

How you choose to frame a scene for a photo is what dictates which lens you choose to pull out of the bag. When not knowing exactly what range of scenes you are going to encounter, the "best" lens to bring can only be answered with the same answer I give all my workshop students when they ask me the same question ...

"Bring everything."


Michael

____________________________
Michael A. Mariant
Nikonians Academy Faculty
Master Your Vision Workshops

Michael,

Very Good answer, but I'll need the pain clinic or" back surgery"if I bring everything.
Do you own any of the shift lens, if so- which?
Thanks

I used to have a TS lens but I sold it awhile back. As a professional, I look at the cost/ROI value of all gear, and the TS wasn't paying for itself. Aside from architectural purposes, the TS is very "technique" in its look, and the decision on using it needs to be judicial in order to avoid possibly coming across as cliché. If I need TS, I can do it in post for the few times it is needed or can contribute to the photo.

My mantra is "just because you have a tool in the tool bag, it doesn't mean you have to use it." Another way I look at it (and present it in my lectures and workshops) is that as photographers we are communicators, trying to communicate a message. That message is the scene we see before us and sharing how we saw it with those that view the photo. In doing so, we choose our tools that we need to communicate that message. However... if the tool or technique we choose to use ends up drawing away attention from the message or scene, and becomes the focus of the photo, then we have failed as communicators.

As for the comment "bring everything", that isn't an 'everything but the kitchen sink' mentality, but simply a "bring the tools you know you need to get the job done." As a photojournalist, we operate with the standard three lens kit (16-35, 24-70, 70-200), and have been doing that for decades. And it fits the photo shooting needs probably 99.99% of the time, and not just for photojournalism, but for all types of photography I do.

Don't get bogged down in the gear; get bogged down on the vision. That's how you'll become a better photographer.

-M

____________________________
Michael A. Mariant
Nikonians Academy Faculty
Master Your Vision Workshops

I live in San Francisco and was interested in your post from the SF title.

If you make it up this way from Big Sur after your wedding event there are some areas that you might be interested in that I can list out for you if you've never been. Like the Golden Gate Bridge vistas, Treasure Island, Cliff House and Lands End. Just let me know and I'll see what I can gather for you.

If you're interested in the wildelife in this area such as the whales here are a couple of links to get you started to think about.

http://www.oceanicsociety.org/whale
https://www.sfbaywhalewatching.com/

Also, you don't have to leave San Francisco to see some sea lions. The end of Pier 39 is over run with them. If you do a Google search on "Pier 39 Sea Lions" you'll get a listing and a gallery of them. While they're not really in a natural setting, depending on the time of year there could be hundreds of them camped out on the docks.

I'm currently unemployed from a lay off, and I'm also recovering from an eye surgery, but around June/July, I should be OK to get about. Message me and I may be able to take a little time to do some quick tour guiding for you and maybe bring my gear along and take some pictures too... But don't worry about it if you don't take me up on this offer, I don't want to impose on you...

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Hi
Thanks for the offer to perhaps shoot together. I'll be with my non photographer wife and our daughter age 24, a beginner photographer. We're interested in wildlife, landsscapes, birds, of course the Bridge and best areas to shoot photos of it. Also, very interested in the whale trips if the seas are not to rough.
We'll be in the area from about June 29th to July 2nd. I should have planned 4th of July, but now airfare is an extra $340 for myself and wife, ouch.

I like all your ideas. We plan on staying now at the Best Western plus lighthouse in the pacifica. Is this worth staying there, or can you recommend a better more scenic location to stay at.

We were planning to go to Napa on July 1st for 1 day, not big into the wine scene, but we wanted to see it.

Before we get up your way, the wedding in Souther calif is on June 23rd, we'll be at San Simeon and Monterey/ Carmel area prior to heading your way.

Thanks for all the input. I am also in the tax biz, so tax season is miserable for me also.
Thanks,
Phil Friedland, aka Flip

my email is :
phfcpa@gmail.com

I got your PM and not problem posting a reply here or there unless you wanted to keep something private or personal.

As far as staying in Pacifica, I live closer to Pacifica than I do the GG Bride. I live on the southern end of Ocean Beach where the freeway goes into Daly City and then Pacifica. The Best Western is located very close (right across the street) from the beach, and if you go south on Highway 1 (the street) you can see some very scenic beach front and views going into Half Moon Bay.

It's nice there. But depending on mother nature it can get foggy or overcast making the area seem a little dull, but if it's sunny is very nice.

If you're going to Napa from there, you'll probably be taking Highway 101 going north, across trhe Golden Gate. When you get to certain areas that you might want to cut over into Napa it is very pretty with the wineries, farmlands and wetlands. If you cut across using Highway 37 you can cut across through some wetlands but the problem is it's a narrow 2 lane road with very little pull outs to stop and take it in or take pictures.

If you study a map and let me know which way you'll be going I can probably give you a heads up on what to expect and maybe even where to stop.

If you or your wife and daughter are into shopping, there is an Outlet mall in Petaluma on your way into wine country.

Calistoga and St. Helena are also very picturesque this time of year...

Just load me up on the questions and I'll do my best to get you info...

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