http://www.oceanlight.com/log Natural History Photography Blog by California photographer Phillip Colla. Natural history photography. Professional underwater, marine and wildlife stock photos. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:27:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have posted a collection of newly released photographs from November 2011. Included are some dynamite blue whale underwater portraits including several just a few feet from my underwater camera housing, images of the Hotel Del Coronado, sunset and sunrise cityscapes of gorgeous San Diego, and new underwater images ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/new-work-november-2011.html Stock photos of Coronado, San Diego, California My recent San Diego Magazine cover photo of the San Diego Coronado Bridge has generated some potential new clients for me over the past few days. I've assembled a gallery of Coronado Island photos for them to consider for related publishing projects. ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photos-of-coronado-san-diego-california.html The February 2012 cover of San Diego Magazine is my aerial photo of the San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge, with the bay and downtown in the background. The boat wake shaped like a heart ("heart" = "reasons to love San Diego", get it?) was the work of the cover ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/san-diego-magazine-cover-photo-coronado-bay-bridge-and-downtown.html Sunset over the Ocean, Leucadia, California This photo was made a few minutes after the sun went down, in Leucadia, California, an eclectic beach community in north San Diego county that is home to great surf, great taco shops and nouveau riche homes teetering on the edge of crumbling sea cliffs. ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/leucadia-sunset.html Christmas Holiday Lights at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California. During the holidays I joined my photographer friend Garry McCarthy at sunset to photograph the Hotel Del Coronado on beautiful Coronado Island in San Diego. During the holidays "The Del" puts on quite a holiday show, with a ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/hotel-del-coronado-with-christmas-lights-san-diego.html The Imperial Beach Pier is an old, charismatic wooden pier reaching out in the lovely Pacific from that funky and most-southerly city in California: Imperial Beach. The Imperial Beach Pier, of "I.B. Pier", was most recently built in 1989. It is 1491' long and 24' wide and situated in ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/imperial-beach-pier.html If you want to go straight to the eye candy and skip the verbage, visit my “New Work - October 2011” gallery! My October 2011 release of new photography is fairly focused and includes some underwater images of blue whales, nighttime photographs of bioluminescence caused by red tide dinoflagellate plankton, a ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/new-work-october-2011.html While this is posted on my blog, these are still available. Note: lens is now sold, camera is still available. THE CAMERA IS STILL AVAILABLE. Canon 7D digital camera, excellent condition, still under warranty, one owner. Approx 8900 shutter actuations. Used to shoot indoor sports and one dive trip, ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/canon-7d-digital-camera-and-tokina-10-17-fisheye-zoom-lens-for-sale.html Best Photos of 2011 In a past "best of" post I stated that one of my goals is to make a handful of really strong images each year, images that could be included in a career retrospective portfolio. This year I will admit that another of my goals is to ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/best-photos-of-2011.html I recently finished editing still photographs made in the Sea of Cortez in November. While I was shooting photos I also took some time to grab video footage with the Canon 7D that I was using. This is a rough edit that I made from some clips, assembled ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/sea-of-cortez-underwater-canon-7d-video-footage.html Cute Harbor Seal Photo, La Jolla, California. This is the third of three images I had that were Highly Commended in this year's Windland Smith Rice photography competition.* This is one of the famous or, depending on your political position, notorious Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) the reside at the Children's ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/pacific-harbor-seal-la-jolla-california.html It is for views like this that I run. I've been running for 35 years and will keep running until my body can't do it anymore. I estimate that I have run at least 32,000 miles (1.25 times around the Earth!) and it is views like this that keep me ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/torrey-pines-state-reserve-running-photos.html Giant's Marbles, Joshua Tree National Park, California. This is the second of three images I had that were Highly Commended in this year's Windland Smith Rice photography competition.* I made this photograph in Joshua Tree National Park just as the sun was setting, at a series of granite boulders that is quite ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/giants-marbles-at-dusk-joshua-tree-national-park-california.html Photographer in the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah I was fortunate to have three of my photographs receive Highly Honored recognition in this years Windland Smith Rice photography competition sponsored by Nature's Best Photography. 21,000 images were entered in the competition, 500 made it to the final round ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/photographer-in-the-virgin-river-narrows-zion-national-park-utah.html From Skip: I and five friends had an 8-day diving charter out of La Paz in the Sea of Cortez in early October. We had no "set your hair on fire" moments, but great weather, fabulous food and company for sharing, and good sea conditions. The largest waves we ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/skips-stubbs-in-the-sea-of-cortez-2011.html Ask The Digital Photography Expert Q: If I shoot raw, do I need to worry about getting my exposures correct anymore? I remember when I took photography in high school, the teacher had us bothering with confusing settings like shutter speed, apartachure and film fastness, and all of that was ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/if-i-shoot-raw-do-i-have-to-pay-any-attention-to-exposure-no.html Bodie State Historic Park Photos A few years ago I visited Bodie Ghost Town, aka Bodie State Historic Park, near Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierra to photograph the old buildings in early morning light. It was a great experience. I had heard that Bodie is one of the ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-bodie-state-historic-park.html I received an invitation from Alister Benn recently to take a look at, and contribute to, Whytake.net. This new website and social networking tool founded by Benn and Rafael Rojas is designed to bring nature photographers together and help them share their work with the world. The design of Whytake.net ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/whytakenet.html Underwater stock photos of Blue Sharks (Prionace glauca) I've updated my collection of blue shark underwater photos. Most of these blue shark photographs were taking freediving (breathhold diving) with a few friends in the open ocean near San Diego or just below the border in Mexico. In days gone ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-blue-shark-underwater-photographs.html Antarctica Pictures and Stock Photos of the Antarctic Peninsula I have assembled my favorite Antarctica Photos into a stock photography gallery. The Antarctic Peninsula is perhaps the single most photogenic place I have ever been. The photographs nearly take themselves and every direction one turns holds a scenic view. ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-antarctica-photos.html Underwater photographs of Gorgonians When I was doing a lot of diving in southern California, some of my favorite subjects were gorgonians. Gorgonians are colonial invertebrates that, as a group, form flexible calcareous skeletons several feet across. The tiny individual polyps positioned on the branches of these "sea fans" ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-gorgonian-photos.html Stock photos of Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is a stone's throw from my mom's home (ok, a long throw) and only about 3.5 hours from where I live in Carlsbad. In the last five years I've made a number of visits to JTNP. It is ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-joshua-tree-national-park.html Stock photos of Fall Colors I've lived in California and travelled throughout the western United States my entire life, but it was not until 2006 that I began to really look for autumn color in nature. Since then I've made a few trips to see turning aspens in the Eastern ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-fall-colors.html In the next month I hope to once again make a brief trip to Bishop, California to enjoy the changing colors of the quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides). Below are the websites and photographers I follow to stay abreast of how conditions are changing as the autumn season progresses. ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/california-fall-color-in-the-eastern-sierra.html 37.21193 -118.61122 A big New Zealand swell is hitting south-facing beaches, including the Wedge in Newport Beach which is seeing 20'+ faces right now. The light was terrible and the waves were sloppy and foamy. I'm glad I did not choose to shoot in the water because it would have ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/the-wedge-and-cylinders.html Stock photos of Icebergs One of my goals in January 2010 when I traveled to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica was to make a series of good iceberg photos. I think I succeeded! It was wonderful cruising around the Antarctic Peninsula and witnessing the variety of shapes, sizes and ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-icebergs.html If you want to go straight to the good stuff and skip my base prose, visit my "New Work" gallery! My latest sampling of new photography originates from a variety of great outdoor experiences, all with my family and a couple of good friends. All of these images were produced ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/new-work-august-2011.html Convict Lake is a small lake at the foot of Laurel Mountain and Mount Morrison, in the Sherwin Range of the Sierra Nevada, California. Convict Lake is named for a group of convicts that escaped from Carson City, fled to and were apprehended after a shootout. Convict Lake ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/convict-lake-sunrise-eastern-sierra-nevada-california.html It has been 10+ years since I last worked at making fluke ID photos, but it's just like riding a bike and one never forgets and I had some success at it yesterday. What is a "fluke ID photo" you ask? The underside (ventral surface) of the ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/humpback-whale-fluke-id-identification-photos.html Photos of Salps, Pelagic Tunicates, Plankton This summer I've been fortunate to get out on the ocean a few times, and each time we have seen an incredible abundance of pelagic tunicates, in particular the species Cyclosalpa affinis. These open ocean planktonic animals largely drift with ocean currents, although they ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/salps-pelagic-tunicates-cyclosalpa-affinis.html Photos of Vernal Falls and the Mist Trail in Yosemite National Park Sarah and I recently made our somewhat-annual hike up the Mist Trail in Yosemite, enjoying the heights and sounds of Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls, as well as the Panorama Trail. It was not a serious photography outing ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/vernal-falls-yosemite-national-park-2.html Photograph of Sky Rock Petroglyphs, Bishop, California. For some years I've wanted to see the Sky Rock Petroglyphs, a secluded and unusual set of petroglyphs located in the Volcanic Tablelands near Bishop, California. The Sky Rock Petroglyphs sit atop of an enormous volcanic block. The petroglyphs -- dozens of ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/sky-rock-petroglyphs-volcanic-tablelands-bishop-california.html iPhone Panoramic Photos. If you like these, be sure to see my first set of iPhone Panorama Photos and a second set of iPhone Panorama Photos. Why do I shoot photos with the iPhone when I have a "real camera"? Quite often we are out and about scouting locations to shoot ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/iphone-panoramic-photography-3.html The John Moulton barn is the second of the two iconic early 1900's barns on Mormon Row in the Antelope Flats area of Grand Teton National Park and is often called "the most photographed barn in the United States": John Moulton barn at sunrise with Teton Range, on Mormon Row ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/john-moulton-barn-grand-teton-national-park.html The Thomas Alma Moulton barn is one of two iconic and oft-photographed barns that lie on Mormon Row in the Antelope Flats area of Grand Teton National Park: T.A. Moulton barn with Teton Range, on Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Image ID: 26914   Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/ta-moulton-barn-grand-teton-national-park-wyoming.html I recently joined my family for a reunion in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. It was not a photography trip, but I did manage to grab a few photos and some video clips as we visited some of the iconic and touristy spots in both parks. ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/teton-and-yellowstone-sound-check.html Stock photography of Penguins I'm gradually revisiting my website galleries and improving them, removing images of lesser quality (unfortunately a lot of those!) and updating existing galleries with new material. If you enjoy penguins please take a look at my collection of Penguin Photos. With one exception**, all of ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/stock-photo-gallery-penguins.html Stock Photos of Yosemite National Park. I've updated my collection of Yosemite photos, including the one below which I made at 2am a few evenings before the last new moon. One of the spring lunar rainbows that form in upper and lower Yosemite Falls -- which are a lot ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/yosemite-falls-and-star-trails.html I was fortunate to make a return trip to Joshua Tree National Park with Garry McCarthy to try to improve on the night time arch photos we made there earlier. I think I succeeded, producing three keepers including one large panoramic image of the Milky Way spanning the night ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/new-work-july-2011.html From Skip: We flew from Paris to Florence on May 9, picked up a rental car (EuropeCar) and headed out to the small hill towns of Umbria and Tuscany. These photos are from about 18 days there and include the following towns we stayed in or visited: Cortona, Spoleto, Bevagna, Gubbio, ... http://www.oceanlight.com/log/italy-2011.html