Califorina coast town suggestions, looking for piers, lamps and texture

[Sizam]

Hey All,
I live in the SF Bay Area and am looking to head out for a couple day adventure to photograph coastal towns, in particular piers and (street/building)lamps, anybody have good suggestions, I'm down to drive ~8hrs north or south as long as I can hit several places along the way? Short of opening up google maps and scrolling up and down the coast looking for nice piers

I poked around Monterey but their piers are too commercial (too many boats tied up), I was just up to Redwood National Forest via Mendocino, Fort Bragg , Trinidad and Crescent City so already been up that way.

Thanks!

[John Kasaian]

I like Moss Landing, beween Monterey and Santa Cruz. On the other end of Big Sur are the beach towns (Cayucos is a classic, IMHO) but Morro Bay has a port and there is a little landing north of there near Hearst Castle.

[rich815]

Pier 17, San Francisco

Berkeley Marina fishing pier

[Peter Mounier]

I see no reason why this can't be a thread where we post pictures. It might even be helpful to the OP if we do. Here's the Cayucos Pier mentioned by John Kasaian ...



Avila Beach, south of San Luis Obispo has a couple of nice piers too.

Peter

[Sizam]

Good idea Peter and thats a great looking pier, exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for, the long walking/fishing piers that go out into the ocean, especially w/lamps or chairs on em, Cayucos looks awesome in the same vein, a great recco, and Morro Bay would be worth a stop as well.

China Camp State Park looks nice, I've been near there but didn't realize that existed, maybe I'll wrap that into a different trip that takes me around SF and the Berkeley pier as well.

Great stuff guys!

[gleaf]

Partial to Humboldt County, Eureka on northward.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Going north, Fort Bragg/Noyo Harbor is great...you might even catch a glimpse of Jessica Fletcher. Going south from SF, the little town of Davenport has some interesting architecture, same with Pescadero, but neither has a harbor per se. Ansel frequently stopped in Pescadero on his way to SF, the local family cafe used to have some of his images in the dinning room.

Peter...nice light on the Cayucos Pier. I've shot it from the air dozens of times, did a series of monthly progress shots of the condos just north of the pier back in the day. I've always promised myself I'd do the pier, but every time I get close to it I'm on my way to the Big Sur.

JD

[drew.saunders]

Here's what I shot at China Camp a couple years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drew_sa...7625547497137/

Drew

[DrTang]

I see no reason why this can't be a thread where we post pictures. It might even be helpful to the OP if we do. Here's the Cayucos Pier mentioned by John Kasaian ...



Avila Beach, south of San Luis Obispo has a couple of nice piers too.

Peter

Gaviota, Grover Beach/Oceano as well

[Drew Wiley]

Directly across the Bay from China Camp we've got a lengthy pier at Pt Pinole, with photogenic remains of abandoned piers also there, as well as at Pt Molate. The longer industrial pier at Pt Richmond is not accessible to the public. Pt Pinole is a
Regional Park with easy hiking trails amidst old black-powder bunkers, ending up at a long public fishing pier. I sometimes go
out there on rainy days for brief walks with various cameras. Best light in the winter, in my opinion.