Santa Cruz Coastal Landscapes

Forces at Work

Autumn sunset light fills the cloudy sky over the Monterey Bay along the scenic coastal landscape of Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz, California. Known for its rock arch standing in the Pacific ocean and home to resting seagulls, cormorants and pelicans, the lone natural bridge remains against the pounding surf.

Lines and Light

Layered rocky shelves along the California coast near Santa Cruz glow with the fiery red light of sunset.

The Draw

Big waves crash offshore as the sun sets over the Pacific ocean at Panther Beach, a secluded stretch of coastline between Santa Cruz and Davenport, California.

The Perfect Storm

A rare spring storm brings rain, a rainbow, and even some lightening to the California coast near Santa Cruz. Wild flowers dot the bluffs above the blue Pacific ocean at the sunset light makes the cliffs turn golden.

Morning Glory

A simple landscape scene along a beach in Santa Cruz at sunrise. The red color of the sky and swirling water around a rock make for a pleasing seascape.

Making An Appearance

The setting sun makes a brief appearance below the thick clouds and before it dips below the horizon. The rocky shore mixes with the Pacific ocean as light reflects off the wet and slipepry surface.

Panther Beach Coastal Sunset

The textured rocky shelves along the central California coast and rushing surf are topped off by a vivid pink sky at sunset near Santa Cruz.

The Hole in the Wall

For a brief two week window every winter, the sun sets through a natural rock arch in a coastal bluff. This coastal landscape near Santa Cruz, California is full of amazing rock formations as well as this beautiful archway.

Shark Tooth Cove Sunset

Shark Tooth Cove is a small rugged section of coastline north of Santa Cruz, California. A large, monolithic rock dominates the landscape. One winter evening, I photographed this coastal landscape under a vivid sunset sky.

Autumn Coastal Colors

Fall sunsets along the California coast are some of the best the golden state gets. Here, a colorful sunset illuminates the clouds above the iconic rock arch at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz.

Aptos Pier Night Sky

One spring morning, a friend and I ventured out to photograph the milky way night sky over the cement ship and pier in Aptos.

Davenport Glow

Davenport has many striking landscape features along the central California coast. This solitary sea stack rock tower endures the constant forces of the ocean.

The Coast is Clear

Four Mile is part of Wilder Ranch State Park along the California coast north of Santa Cruz. The landscape is dominated by rocky shelves, sea stacks, golden bluffs, and agricultural fields. Many beaches such as this one have varied rock formations mixing with sandy shores. Whether traveling or just enjoying a sunset outdoors, being along the coast, you can't go wrong.

Divided From One

Large slabs of rock along the rugged coast of California catch the last light of sunset. Beautiful secluded coves and beaches line the shores between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay in Central California.

Evening Glow

Along the California coast near Santa Cruz lies numerous scenic secluded beaches with rocky shelves and crashing surf. When the weather is right, the clouds ignite with color and create some dramatic scenes.

Lines and Light #2

Rugged coastline near Santa Cruz, California warms up with a colorful sunset along the Pacific ocean.

Inroads

A rocky chasm fills with the surf from the Pacific ocean during a sunset along the California coast. During certain times of year, the sun will set down the end of this channel found near Santa Cruz, California.

Incoming Tide

The Pacific ocean waves crash into a rocky chasm found along the rugged and scenic California coast near Snata Cruz.

Aligned

Golden bluffs illuminate at sunset along the coast one autumn day in central California. The sunshine state's varied and beautiful shores offer landscape photographer's a wonderful mix of sandy coves, rocky shelves, and rugged surf. This secluded beach sits between the coastal towns of Santa Cruz and Davenport in part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Summer's Warmth and the California Coast

The coastal landscapes of central California draw tourists and travelers from all over the world to visit their raw beauty. Here the Pacific ocean washes on a sandy and rocky beach near Santa Cruz, California during a rare spectacular sunset during summer.

The Open Coast Experience #1

Early morning light shines through the clouds along the beautiful and scenic California coast. A flock of pelicans soars over the Pacific ocean as waves crash on shore.

Davenport Sunset Glow

A clear sky produced some nice glow at sunset near the coastal town of Davenport. At low tide, the rocky shelf with its finger like formations is exposed as it mixes with the gentle surf. The bluffs catch some of the golden light as well to make for a memorable evening at the beach.

Dramatic Santa Cruz Sunset

The rocky coastline of central California has numerous beautiful beaches with rugged features such as this cove near Santa Cruz. A late fall storm brough dramatic skies at sunset.

Capitola Mornings

Capitola in the winter time is a sleepy town known more for its warm sunny days on the Monterey Bay in summer. But winter is the best time for landscape photography on the coast. Brilliant light at sunrise can be a typical scene.

A Day at the Beach

Using a strong neutral density filter to hodl back light enabled me to make a long exposure near mid day to smooth the ocean and show cloud movement near the twon of Davenport, California.

Simple Sunrise #1

A simple scene with a small wave creeping up the beach under an intense sky full of red and orange clouds at sunrise in the tourist town of Capitola.

Grassy Glow Over Capitola Pier

As the sun rose over the Monterey Bay, the golden light lit up the invasive, but in this case, beautiful pampas grass. The Capitola Pier lies in the distance.

A Day in Davenport

The use of a strong dark filter allowed me to make this long exposure during the early afternoon along a rocky beach near Santa Cruz and Davenport, California.

Davenport Bluffs Sunset

Colorful sunset overlooking the rocky California coastline near Davenport. In the distance, the remnants of an old pier still stand against the never ending surf of the Pacific ocean.

Greyhound Rock Sunset #2

The sun sets over the Pacific ocean along the sandy and rocky shores of northern Santa Cruz County.