All Posts By

Phil Colla

Sharks

Blue Shark Photo

In the late 80s and 90s we used to leave the docks really early on summer mornings, motor 10-20 miles offshore in our little boats, far enough to get into really blue and bottemless water, drop a bucket of chum in the water, and make bets on when the blue…
November 11, 2006
Surf

Surfline : Rocktober

Surfline picked up a shot of mine for today's ROCKTOBER slideshow, check this page out. Breaking wave, Ponto, South Carlsbad.Image ID: 17679Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA
November 2, 2006
Skip's Trips

Skip Stubbs in the Sea of Cortez (2006)

This just in from my good friend and diving partner Skip Stubbs, who has just returned from another of his excellent dive expeditions, this time in Mexico's wonderful Sea of Cortez and Cabo Pulmo. For the past 7 years I have organized October diving trips to the Sea of Cortez…
October 30, 2006
Skip's Trips

Skip Stubbs at Cabo Pulmo (2006)

This just in from my good friend and diving partner Skip Stubbs, who has just returned from another of his excellent dive expeditions, this time visiting Mexico's wonderful Sea of Cortez and Cabo Pulmo Since 2001 we have also visited Cabo Pulmo national marine park, on the east cape of…
October 29, 2006
Surf

Ponto, South Carlsbad, October 24

Smaller and less consistent than the past few days but also less crowded. Click here for the shots I decided to keep from this morning. Below are a couple of the guys who took pity on me and passed by so I could get a few snaps. Ponto, South Carlsbad,…
October 24, 2006
Surf

Ponto, South Carlsbad, October 23

Another nice day on the water. Click here for the shots I decided to keep from this morning. And below are a couple of larger ones. Tony Gatti, Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf.Image ID: 17777Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA Tony Gatti, Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf.Image ID: 17780Location: Ponto, Carlsbad,…
October 23, 2006
Surf

Ponto, South Carlsbad, October 22

Fun day! I got out for an hour or so this morning. Beautiful light, offshores, size and on the weekend to boot. Click here for the shots I decided to keep from this morning . Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf.Image ID: 17717Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning…
October 22, 2006
Surf

Ponto, South Carlsbad, October 20

Solitude. I had a long stretch of the waves south of the jetties all to myself. It was beautiful this morning, until the tide rose and the waves lost their form. Click here to see more from this morning. Breaking wave, Ponto, South Carlsbad.Image ID: 17679Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA
October 20, 2006
Surf

Cardiff October 13

It was overcast this morning, a storm is coming in says the weatherman. After dropping the kids off at school I got about an hour of fun and exercise in the water before a breeze arose and junked up the waves. Plus I had to get to work. Click here…
October 13, 2006
Galapagos Diaries

Photo of Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos

Darwin's Arch is a spectacular natural rock arch that rises above the ocean offshore of Darwin Island in the Galapagos Archipelago. (Typical of most islands in the Galapagos, Darwin Island has a second name that often appears on nautical charts: Culpepper Island.) Darwins Arch, a dramatic 50-foot tall natural lava…
October 12, 2006
Photo of the Day

Photo of Aspens and Cardinal Pond, Aspendell

Aspendell, in the Bishop Creek Canyon, cradles tiny Cardinal Pond. Cardinal Pond is well protected from wind, so its mirror-like surface reflects the turning aspen trees that surround it beautifully. Aspen trees reflected in Cardinal Pond, Aspendel, Bishop Creek Canyon.Image ID: 17504Species: Aspen, Populus tremuloidesLocation: Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada…
October 11, 2006
Uncategorized

Traffic

We checked out the web logs for the first time in a while. OceanLight.com is receiving about 200,000 visitors and 300,000 visits a month, not counting crawlers (e.g., Google, Yahoo, MSN), that's over two million visitors each year. It is increasing each month (probably in sync with the increase in…
October 9, 2006
CaliforniaIconsTreesWhite Mountains

Photos of Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees

Ancient Bristlecone pine trees (Pinus longaeva) live in a relatively restricted area of eastern California, Nevada and Utah, typically at altitudes above 9500'. The ancient bristlecone pine tree is considered to be the world's oldest species of tree (and indeed the world's oldest sexually reproducing, nonclonal lifeform). A number of…
October 8, 2006
Photo of the Day

Photo of North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon

North Lake lies at the end of the road in the North Fork of Bishop Creek Canyon. This photo was taken around 8 in the morning, just as the sun illuminated the entire far side of the lake and moments before the wind kicked up and ruined the mirror reflection.…
October 7, 2006
Photo of the Day

Photo of Aspen Trees in Fall

These changing aspen trees (Populus tremuloides) were seen in Bishop Creek Canyon. Aspen trees turn yellow and orange in early October, South Fork of Bishop Creek Canyon.Image ID: 17503Species: Aspen, Populus tremuloidesLocation: Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA Aspen trees display Eastern Sierra fall colors, Lake Sabrina, Bishop…
October 6, 2006
Photo of the Day

Fall Colors, South Fork of Bishop Creek Canyon

The south fork of the Bishop Creek Canyon holds vast, thick groves of aspen trees (Populus tremuloides). Since aspen groves are clones, they all leaf out together in spring. In fall they change color simultaneously, resulting in fantastic expanses of canyonsides covered in rich hues of yellow and orange, as…
October 5, 2006
Photo of the Day

Fall Colors in Bishop Creek Canyon

I found incredible displays of turning aspens along this dirt road near North Lake in the Bishop Creek Canyon photos. I was stoked to find that I had this road largely to myself for several hours one morning, under bright sun, blue skies and brilliant trees, before two photography workshop…
October 4, 2006
Photo of the Day

Photo of Aspens in Bishop Creek Canyon

The small community of Aspendell is tucked in the Bishop Creek Canyon near the road to Lake Sabrina. The canyonsides around Aspendell are carpeted in groves of quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides) which glow yellow and orange in autumn. This is a view from the road just above Aspendell, looking toward…
October 3, 2006
Photo of the Day

Photo of Aspens Reflected in Lake Sabrina

Lake Sabrina in the Bishop Creek Canyon is surrounded by groves of quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides), which are nicely reflected in the lake in the early morning before any breezes has arisen. Aspen trees display Eastern Sierra fall colors, Lake Sabrina, Bishop Creek Canyon.Image ID: 17497Species: Aspen, Populus tremuloidesLocation: Bishop…
October 2, 2006
CaliforniaCarlsbadStoriesSurf

South Carlsbad Reminiscing

When I was a kid, my family would drive down from Newport Beach to spend a week or two each summer camping at South Carlsbad State Beach with two other families. This was going on 30+ years ago. (Now you know how old I am; everyone looks like a grom…
September 25, 2006
CaliforniaCarlsbadSurf

Fire Breathing Dragon

**As of August 2012, I am using Delmar Housing Projects for my Canon 5D Mark III. The lens I prefer to use is the 16-35 f/2.8 II. The first couple sessions with this rig: first and second.** More surf photos. My approach to photography is not particularly rigorous or diligent.…
September 24, 2006
Galapagos DiariesSharksUnderwater Life

Hammerhead Shark Silhouette

This lone hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) was photographed at Darwin's Arch, Darwin Island, Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador: Scalloped hammerhead shark, black and white / grainy.Image ID: 16265Species: Scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewiniLocation: Darwin Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
September 22, 2006
Surf

Shorebreak at the Wedge

Another morning at the Wedge. I sympathize with this guy as I have eaten more than my fair share of shorebreak sand too. It looks like the lip caught him in the back of the head just after this shot was taken. And this is only a small inside shorebreak,…
September 21, 2006
AlaskaKenai FjordsMarine Life

Sea Otter Photo

This sea otter (Enhydra lutris), was photographed in Resurrection Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska: Sea otter.Image ID: 16940Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutrisLocation: Resurrection Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, USA Keywords: sea otter photos, Enhydra lutris
September 19, 2006
Photo of the Day

Moon Photo

Two teleconverters (2x and 1.4x) stacked on a 500mm f/4, yielding an effective 1400mm f/11 megalens, with a Canon 1Ds Mark II body, and a moon just starting to wane: The Moon.Image ID: 17474Location: Earth Orbit, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, The Universe
September 10, 2006
National ParksOlympicTreesWashington

Nurse Log Photo

A "nurse log" is a tree that has fallen and, in the process of decay and rotting away, provides nutrients and a substrate for other plants, including seedling trees, to root and grow. Eventually these plants overwhelm the nurse log which rots away and is completely replaced by the new…
September 9, 2006
CaliforniaPelicans of La JollaSeabirdWildlife

Brown Pelican Photo

See my Guide to Photographing Pelicans in La Jolla. This brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is coming in for a landing on the cliffs of La Jolla, California, just after sunrise: Brown pelican in flight. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of…
September 8, 2006
AlaskaKatmaiKenai FjordsNational ParksWildlife

Alaska Photos (2006)

I have posted 382 photos from my 10-day trip to visit Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park and Katmai National Park, including sea otters (Enhydra lutris), Stellar sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), and most notably, brown bears (Ursus arctos, also known as grizzly bears). Here are a few: Sea otter.Image ID: 16940Species:…
September 3, 2006
AlaskaBrown BearKatmaiWildlife

Whisper Bear

Psst, hey buddy, the salmon fishing sucks here and I'm starving. On three I say we bust a move and take out that white-meat photographer over there... Brown bear (grizzly bear).Image ID: 17158Species: Brown bear, Ursus arctosLocation: Brooks River, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA See also: Photos of brown bears…
August 21, 2006