California

With wild fires devastating its forests and communities, California often seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons – but this stunning state is still one of the best road-trip destinations for photographers.

I've always wanted to drive the Pacific Coast Highway and, in 2019, I got the opportunity to tour the section south from San Francisco. Some of the photographs below depict highlights, such as the magnificent redwood groves and the stunning scenery of the Big Sur coast. Whale watching in Monterey Bay was another memorable part of the trip, as was hiking in Yosemite and visiting the elephant seal colony at Hearst-San Simeon.

But it was during the loop back through Owens Valley and the Sierra Nevada that we encountered some of the most dramatic scenery. If you're planning a self-drive in this part of California, I would highly recommend a visit to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest where you can hike through an extraordinary landscape of dolerite-strewn mountain slopes, dotted with the world's oldest trees – some of them over 4,000 years old. We also spent a few days in the Alabama Hills – an unmissable spot for landscape and astro photography. The surreal semi-desert landscape of eroded sandstone hills has a backdrop of the saw-tooth Sierra Nevada, while the clear night skies are perfect for capturing the Milky Way.

Big Sur coastline

Pouring onto a pristine beach, McWay Falls is a well-known spot along the Big Sur coast – but irresistible to any passing photographer!

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Only a short drive south from San Francisco, this state park has an impressive grove of giant redwoods – including trees up to 85m tall.

Asilomar State Beach, Monterey

A long exposure renders the incoming tide as a soft mist among rocks at sunset.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Home to the oldest trees in the world, the Methuselah Grove shown here contains bristlecone pines thought to be over 4,850 years old.

Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada

Stomping ground for Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, the Alabama Hills have been a stunning backdrop to many westerns.

Jupiter and the Milky Way over the Alabama Hills

Located in Owens Valley, east of the Sierra Nevada, the Alabama Hills is renowned for its strange rock formations and superb star gazing.

Half Dome viewed from North Dome, Yosemite

Why would you want to go through the hassle of getting a permit to climb Half Dome when the trek to North Dome is easier, less-visited and equally dramatic?

Yosemite Falls

The highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Falls plunges 739m over three stages.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

Looking across Yosemite Valley from the top of North Dome, a fluff of cloud snags on the iconic wedge of Half Dome.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

WILLGRAY

California

With wild fires devastating its forests and communities, California often seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons – but this stunning state is still one of the best road-trip destinations for photographers.

PHOTOGRAPHY

WILLGRAY