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California Stock Photos by Professional Photographer Phillip Colla. California stock photography.
Breaking wave, fast motion and blur. The Wedge, Newport Beach, California

Wedge Wave, The Wedge

 Two blue whales, a mother and her calf, swim through the open ocean in this aerial photograph. The calf is blowing (spouting, exhaling) with a powerful column of spray. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth, Balaenoptera musculus, San Diego, California

Blue Whale Aerial Photo, San Diego

 Half Dome and storm clouds at sunset, viewed from Sentinel Bridge, Yosemite National Park, California

Half Dome And Storm Clouds At Sunset, Yosemite Valley.

Breaking wave, Ponto, South Carlsbad

Ponto Surf, Carlsbad

 Brown pelican in flight. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status. In winter months, breeding adults assume a dramatic plumage, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla

Brown Pelican, La Jolla

 Vernal Falls at peak flow in late spring, with a rainbow appearing in the spray of the falls, viewed from the Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park, California

Vernal Falls And Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park.

Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island

Giant Kelp, Underwater Kelp Forest, San Clemente Island

 A kelp forest, with sunbeams passing through kelp fronds. Giant kelp, the fastest plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky bottom to the ocean's surface like a terrestrial forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island

Giant Kelp, San Clemente Island

 Yosemite Falls at peak flow in late spring, viewed from Cooks Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California

Upper Yosemite Falls From Cook's Meadow, Yosemite Valley.

Oceanside Pier at dusk, sunset, night. Oceanside

Oceanside Pier

 Aspen trees display Eastern Sierra fall colors, Lake Sabrina, Bishop Creek Canyon, Populus tremuloides, Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains

Aspen Trees, Lake Sabrina, Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains

 2006 Mavericks surf contest champion Grant Twiggy Baker of South Africa. Final round, Mavericks surf contest, February 7, 2006, Half Moon Bay, California

Mavericks Surf Contest 2006

Bristlecone pine displays its characteristic gnarled, twisted form as it rises above the arid, dolomite-rich slopes of the White Mountains at 11000-foot elevation. Patriarch Grove, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

Bristlecone Pine, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

 Townsley Lake (10396'), a beautiful alpine lake sitting below blue sky, clouds and Fletcher Peak (right), lies amid the Cathedral Range of glacier-sculpted granite peaks in Yosemite's high country, near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, Yosemite National Park, California

Townsley Lake In The High Sierra, Yosemite National Park.

 Breaking wave, early morning surf, Ponto, Carlsbad, California

Ponto Surf, Carlsbad

Brown pelican in flight. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status. In winter months, breeding adults assume a dramatic plumage, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla

Brown Pelican In Flight, La Jolla

 Torrey Pines seacliffs, rising up to 300 feet above the ocean, stretch from Del Mar to La Jolla. On the mesa atop the bluffs are found Torrey pine trees, one of the rare species of pines in the world, Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, California

Torrey Pines Seacliffs, Torrey Pines State Reserve

 Hotel del Coronado, known affectionately as the Hotel Del. It was once the largest hotel in the world, and is one of the few remaining wooden Victorian beach resorts. It sits on the beach on Coronado Island, seen here with downtown San Diego in the distance. It is widely considered to be one of Americas most beautiful and classic hotels. Built in 1888, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977

Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego

San Diego Coronado Bridge, known locally as the Coronado Bridge, links San Diego with Coronado, California. The bridge was completed in 1969 and was a toll bridge until 2002. It is 2.1 miles long and reaches a height of 200 feet above San Diego Bay. Coronado Island is to the left, and downtown San Diego is to the right in this view looking north

San Diego Coronado Bridge

 Vogelsang Peak (11516') at sunset, reflected in a small creek near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in Yosemite's high country, Yosemite National Park, California

Vogelsang Peak At Sunset From Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, Yosemite National Park

 Mobius Arch at sunrise, with Mount Whitney (the tallest peak in the continental United States), Lone Pine Peak and snow-covered Sierra Nevada Range framed within the arch. Mobius Arch is a 17-foot-wide natural rock arch in the scenic Alabama Hills Recreational Area near Lone Pine, California

Mobius Arch At Sunrise, Alabama Hills Recreational Area

A large, powerful wave breaks with offshore winds at the Wedge in Newport Beach, The Wedge

Wedge Wave, The Wedge

 Crystal Pier, 872 feet long and built in 1925, extends out into the Pacific Ocean from the town of Pacific Beach. Mission Bay and downtown San Diego are seen in the distance

Crystal Pier, San Diego

 New Point Loma Lighthouse, situated on the tip of Point Loma Peninsula, marks the entrance to San Diego Bay. The lighthouse rises 70' and was built in 1891 to replace the old Point Loma Lighthouse which was often shrouded in fog

New Point Loma Lighthouse, San Diego

Bull elephant seal exits the water to retake his position on the beach. He shows considerable scarring on his chest and proboscis from many winters fighting other males for territory and rights to a harem of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon

Elephant Seal, Piedras Blancas

 A hiker admires an ancient bristlecone pine tree, on the Methuselah Walk in the Schulman Grove in the White Mountains at an elevation of 9500 above sea level. The oldest bristlecone pines in the world are found in the Schulman Grove, some of them over 4700 years old. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

A Hiker Admires An Ancient Bristlecone Pine Tree, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

 Ancient bristlecone pine tree, rising above the arid, dolomite-rich slopes of the Schulman Grove in the White Mountains at an elevation of 9500 above sea level, along the Methuselah Walk. The oldest bristlecone pines in the world are found in the Schulman Grove, some of them over 4700 years old. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Tree, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

Brown pelican. This large seabird has a wingspan over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status, due largely to predation in the early 1900s and to decades of poor reproduction caused by DDT poisoning. In winter months, breeding adults assume a dramatic plumage with brown neck, yellow and white head and bright red gular throat pouch, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla

Brown Pelican, La Jolla

 Pacific harbor seal on wet sandy beach, Phoca vitulina richardsi, La Jolla, California

Pacific Harbor Seal, La Jolla

 California sea lion hauled out on rocks beside the ocean, Zalophus californianus, La Jolla

California Sea Lion, La Jolla

North Lake lit by alpenglow before sunrise, a three frame panorama, with groves of yellow and orange aspen trees on the side of Paiute Peak, Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains

Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains

A sea otter, resting on its back, holding its paw out of the water for warmth. While the sea otter has extremely dense fur on its body, the fur is less dense on its head, arms and paws so it will hold these out of the cold water to conserve body heat, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California

Sea Otter, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

 A giant sequoia tree, soars skyward from the forest floor, lit by the morning sun and surrounded by other sequioas. The massive trunk characteristic of sequoia trees is apparent, as is the crown of foliage starting high above the base of the tree, Sequoiadendron giganteum, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California

A Giant Sequoia Tree, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

 Brittlebush, ocotillo and various cacti and wildflowers color the sides of Glorietta Canyon. Heavy winter rains led to a historic springtime bloom in 2005, carpeting the entire desert in vegetation and color for months, Encelia farinosa, Fouquieria splendens, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California

Brittlebush, Anza-borrego Desert State Park

Sandstone cliffs rise above the beach at Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, California

Torrey Pines Sandstone Cliffs, Torrey Pines State Reserve

 Aspen trees cover Bishop Creek Canyon above Aspendel, Populus tremuloides, Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains

Aspen, Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains

 Gray whale, blow, Eschrichtius robustus, Big Sur, California

Gray Whale, Big Sur

Unicorn Peak at sunset, seen from Tuolumne Meadows. Cockscomb Peak rises in the distance, Yosemite National Park, California

Unicorn Peak, Yosemite, Tuolumne Meadows

 Mammoth Peak and alpine meadows in the High Sierra are reflected in Tioga Lake at sunrise. This spectacular location is just a short walk from the Tioga Pass road. Near Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite National Park

Mammoth Peak, Yosemite, Tioga Lake

 Dune primrose (white) and sand verbena (purple) bloom in spring in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, mixing in a rich display of desert color. Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Oenothera deltoides, Abronia villosa, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Dune Primrose, Anza-borrego Desert State Park

San Diego city skyline at sunset, showing the buildings of downtown San Diego rising above San Diego Harbor, viewed from Harbor Island. A panoramic photograph, composite of thirteen separate images

San Diego City Skyline Panorama

Giant sequoia trees, roots spreading outward at the base of each massive tree, rise from the shaded forest floor, Sequoiadendron giganteum, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California

Giant Sequoia Trees, Mariposa Grove

 Devil's Postpile, a spectacular example of columnar basalt. Once molten and under great pressure underground, the lava that makes up Devil's Postpile cooled evenly and slowly, contracting and fracturing into polygonal-sided columns. The age of the formation is estimated between 100 and 700 thousand years old. Sometime after the basalt columns formed, a glacier passed over the formation, cutting and polishing the tops of the columns. The columns have from three to seven sides, varying because of differences in how quickly portions of the lava cooled, Devils Postpile National Monument, California

Devil's Postpile, Devils Postpile National Monument

 Point Loma peninsula, with scalloped sandstone cliffs edging the Pacific Ocean, looking south. Navy facilities are scattered along this section of Point Loma, San Diego, California

Point Loma Peninsula, San Diego

Coast Highway 101, looking south from Del Mar, with Los Penasquitos Marsh on the left and the cliffs of Torrey Pines State Reserve and La Jolla in the distance, San Diego, California

Coast Highway 101, San Diego

 A large natural sea cave lies below a sandstone bluff in La Jolla at sunrise with a pink sky, Black's Beach in the distant

La Jolla Cave

 Sunrise in Joshua Tree National Park, Yucca brevifolia

Joshua Tree Sunrise, Joshua Tree National Park

Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). It lies along the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Composed of the Sierra Nevada batholith granite formation, its eastern side (seen here) is quite steep. It is climbed by hundreds of hikers each year

Mount Whitney

Main Street buildings, Dechambeau Hotel (left) and I.O.O.F. Hall (right), Bodie State Historical Park, California

Main Street Buildings, Bodie State Historical Park

 California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires, Eschscholzia californica, Del Dios, San Diego

California Poppy, Del Dios

 UCSD Library glows at sunset (Geisel Library, UCSD Central Library), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla

UCSD Library At Sunset, University Of California, San Diego

The Morro Bay Power Plant, with its distinctive three stacks, rises above fishing boats in Morro Bay harbor. Morro Bay

Morro Bay

 Sunrise lights Telescope Peak as it rises over the salt flats of Badwater, Death Valley. At 11,049 feet, Telescope Peak is the highest peak in the Panamint Range as well as the highest point in Death Valley National Park. At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater is the lowest point in North America

Badwater, Death Valley

 Wagon and interior of County Barn, Brown House and Moyle House in distance, Bodie State Historical Park, California

Wagon And Interior Of County Barn, Bodie State Historical Park

Barber shop, front porch and facade, Main Street, Bodie State Historical Park, California

Barber Shop, Bodie State Historical Park

 Devils Golf Course, California. Evaporated salt has formed into gnarled, complex crystalline shapes in on the salt pan of Death Valley National Park, one of the largest salt pans in the world. The shapes are constantly evolving as occasional floods submerge the salt concretions before receding and depositing more salt

Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley National Park, Devils Golf Course

 Dune primrose blooms in spring following winter rains. Dune primrose is a common ephemeral wildflower on the Colorado Desert, growing on dunes. Its blooms open in the evening and last through midmorning. Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Oenothera deltoides, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Dune Primrose, Anza-borrego Desert State Park

Joshua Trees silhouetted against predawn sunrise light, Yucca brevifolia, Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Trees Silhouetted Against Predawn Sunrise Light, Joshua Tree National Park

 Wind turbines, rise above the flat floor of the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs, with snow covered Mount San Jacinto in the background, provide electricity to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley

Wind Turbines, San Gorgonio Pass

 Torrey Pines seacliffs, rising up to 300 feet above the ocean, stretch from Del Mar to La Jolla. On the mesa atop the bluffs are found Torrey pine trees, one of the rare species of pines in the world, Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, California

Torrey Pines Seacliffs, Torrey Pines State Reserve

Clusters of desert poppy climb the steep sides of the Borrego Valley. Heavy winter rains led to a historic springtime bloom in 2005, carpeting the entire desert in vegetation and color for months, Eschscholzia parishii, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California

Desert Poppy, Anza-borrego Desert State Park

 The Scripps Institution of Oceanography research pier is 1090 feet long and was built of reinforced concrete in 1988, replacing the original wooden pier built in 1915. The Scripps Pier is home to a variety of sensing equipment above and below water that collects various oceanographic data. The Scripps research diving facility is located at the foot of the pier. Fresh seawater is pumped from the pier to the many tanks and facilities of SIO, including the Birch Aquarium. The Scripps Pier is named in honor of Ellen Browning Scripps, the most significant donor and benefactor of the Institution, La Jolla, California

Sio Pier, Scripps Institution Of Oceanography

 Sand Dunes, California. Near Stovepipe Wells lies a region of sand dunes, some of them hundreds of feet tall, Death Valley National Park

Death Valley Sand Dunes, Stovepipe Wells

Ripples in sand dunes at sunset, California. Winds reshape the dunes each day. Early morning walks among the dunes can yield a look at sidewinder and kangaroo rats tracks the nocturnal desert animals leave behind, Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley National Park

Death Valley Sand Dunes, Stovepipe Wells

 Zabriskie Point, sunrise. Manly Beacon rises in the center of an eroded, curiously banded area of sedimentary rock, with the Panamint Mountains visible in the distance, Death Valley National Park, California

Zabriskie Point Sunrise, Death Valley National Park

 UCSD Library glows with light in this night time exposure (Geisel Library, UCSD Central Library), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla

UCSD Library At Night, University Of California, San Diego

Morro Rock and Morro Bay

Morro Rock, Morro Bay

 Tufa towers rise from Mono Lake. Tufa towers are formed when underwater springs rich in calcium mix with lakewater rich in carbonates, forming calcium carbonate (limestone) structures below the surface of the lake. The towers were eventually revealed when the water level in the lake was lowered starting in 1941. South tufa grove, Navy Beach

Mono Lake And Tufa Towers

 Downtown San Diego bayfront, Marina District, with the USS Midway Navy aircraft carrier (right), cruise ship terminal (left) and high rise office buildings towering over North Harbor Drive along San Diego Bay

Downtown San Diego Bayfront

The La Jolla Coast, sometimes referred to as the Riviera of San Diego, is some of the most beautiful residental coastline in all of Southern California

The La Jolla Coast

 Pacific Beach, Crystal Pier and Mission Bay, looking south. Downtown San Diego is seen in the distance

Pacific Beach, San Diego

 San Diego Skyline at sunset, North Harbor Drive running along the waterfront, high rise office buildings, with cruise ship terminal (right)

San Diego Skyline At Sunset

Torrey Pines Golf Course, the North course, with the Pacific Ocean in the distance, La Jolla, California

Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla

 Torrey Pines seacliffs, rising up to 300 feet above the ocean, stretch from Del Mar to La Jolla. On the mesa atop the bluffs are found Torrey pine trees, one of the rare species of pines in the world, Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, California

Torrey Pines Seacliffs, Torrey Pines State Reserve

 Piedras Blancas lighthouse. Completed in 1875, the 115-foot-tall Piedras Blancas lighthouse is one of the few tall-style lighthouses on the West Coast of the United States. Piedras Blancas, named for a group of three white rocks just offshore, is north of San Simeon, California very close to Hearst Castle

Piedras Blancas Lighthouse

Giant Sequoia tree, Sequoiadendron giganteum, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California

Giant Sequoia Tree, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

 Golden Gate Bridge, viewed from the Marin Headlands with the city of San Francisco in the distance. Late afternoon

Golden Gate Bridge From Marin Headlands, San Francisco

Updated: November 7, 2009