San Simeon Castle

Maybe not the castle near San Simeon that your were thinking of ...

Sand Castle, San Simeon State Beach, CA

King of the Castle, Estero Bluffs State Beach

Cambria - Zebra and Supermoon

The moon rising over Cambria, California last evening was huge.  I caught a photo of it over my favorite old barn.

And the zebra near Hearst Castle were out in force - as were the tourist snapping pictures of zebra close to Highway 1.  I should have taken a photo of all the cars stopped along the side of the highway.

Zebra on the Central Coast

Zebra were originally introduced to San Luis Obispo as part of the "zoo" at Hearst Castle.  Now they range wild across the Hearst Ranch and the hillsides around San Simeon.  They cause quite a stir when grazing along Highway 1, resulting in "zebra jams" as motorists pull off the road to take pictures.

Last weekend found about a half dozen zebra near the roadway, and twice as many cars pulled over to take photos.  I had a long lens on the camera (600 mm) and had to switch to 300 mm because the critters were too close for the big lens.

Weekend on the Central Coast

Saturday was a lovely day on the Central Coast - the fog stayed offshore, winds were calm and temps got up into the 70's at the beach.  I visited the Piedras Blancas Light Station for a tour, checked out the Annual Cambria Wildflower show, and took an evening sunset tour at Hearst Castle.  My out of town guests stayed at the Sea Otter Inn on Moonstone Beach Drive in Cambria - very nice accommodations, and we had great dinners at the Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill, and the Sow's Ear, both in Cambria.

Fog Horn Building, Piedras Blancas

Staircase, Piedras Blancas Lighthouse

Late night card game, Hearst Castle evening tour

The Billiard Room, Hearst Castle evening tour

Moonrise at Hearst Castle

I visited Hearst Castle recently for an unguided "Gardens and Vistas" evening tour; sunset and full moonrise were about the same time, and with clear weather, I hoped for pictures of the full moon rising over the Castle buildings as they were illuminated by sunset glow. It was a pleasant evening, and I took a few good pictures, but it turns out that I should have done more homework.





Moonrise was 8:07, and sunset was 8:24. Tours end at sunset, and I was frantically scanning the sky as the sunset bells rang, looking for where the moon would rise. Tour guides and security staff were sympathetic, all looking for a hint of moonrise while gently shepherding me back toward the last bus. I'd about given up hope for a moonshot when security staff came racing toward me around 8:30 - the moon - it's full over there - take some pictures! And I got a few good shots - not with the buildings as I planned - then dashed off to catch the last bus down the hill.


After that visit, I've found a cool program which shows the sight lines for sunrise and moonrise for any location using Google maps - The Photographer's Ephemeris - http://photoephemeris.com/



This software (currently free for the desktop, available for the iPhone) shows time and directions of sun and moon rise and set for any location. It's easy to use, and I could have seen exactly where and when the moon would rise, allowing me to plan the photo in advance. This is a great tool for photographers looking to capture the right light.

Hearst Castle Vistas

I took an early evening Garden and Vistas self-guided tour at Hearst Castle last Friday. Weather was gray but comfortable, and the garden blooms were really spectacular. I appreciated the chance to wander the gardens and grounds at my own pace, which left enough time for photographs. Guides were available to answer questions, and it was interesting to see all the small details in the buildings and sculptures. I'm sure I will go back again; just need to time it for the perfect sunset.

Details of the tours at http://www.hearstcastle.org