Phil Colla

Aerial Photography California San Diego

Ocean Beach Pier, San Diego

Here is a view of the Ocean Beach Pier ("OB Pier") with Sunset Cliffs and Point Loma, and even one of the Coronado Islands in the distance. Ocean Beach Pier, also known as the OB Pier or Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, is the longest concrete pier on the West Coast…

Phil CollaFebruary 3, 2009

Canada Panoramas

Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is covered with trees (at least those parts that have not been logged out yet). One particularly notable grove is Cathedral Grove, part of MacMillan Provincial Park. In Cathedral Grove enormous Douglas fir and Western hemlock trees are found, not yet taken by the logging industry and recently…

Phil CollaFebruary 2, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego Panoramas San Diego

Torrey Pines State Beach

A panorama of the view from Flat Rock at sunset, viewed with your back to the sun facing the tall sandstone seacliffs that tower over Torrey Pines State Beach. This was shot from the place where yesterday's Oranjeboom couple was standing. This panoramic photo is a composite of 10 separate…

Phil CollaFebruary 1, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego California San Diego

Flat Rock, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

A couple more photos of Torrey Pines today and tomorrow, then on to other things. One of the main trails in Torrey Pines State Reserve leads down to the beach, to a flat rock that is surprisingly named "Flat Rock." As we flew over Flat Rock a couple was enjoying…

Phil CollaJanuary 31, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego La Jolla San Diego

Children’s Pool, La Jolla

Children's Pool, also known as Casa Cove, is a pretty contentious place these days. The Children's Pool is a simple pocket cove protected by a manmade seawall. It has a fine sand beach, calm waters and fairly good snorkeling. And harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are often found on the beach,…

Phil CollaJanuary 30, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego California San Diego

Torrey Pines Golf Course

I used to play Torrey Pines Golf Course on Friday afternoons with some buddies when I was a student at UCSD. We played both north and south courses, whichever had an earlier slot available when we got there. Each semester we would plan our class schedules so that we would…

Phil CollaJanuary 28, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego California San Diego

Torrey Pines State Reserve

Torrey Pines State Reserve is a special place for me. When I was a kid, we drove down from Newport Beach to hike the winding dirt trails from the mesa to the beach, squeezing through the notorious and now-closed "Fat Man's Misery" (a politically-incorrectly-named narrow trail which discriminates against the…

Phil CollaJanuary 27, 2009

Aerial Photography California GeoBlog Photography San Diego

Aerial Photos of San Diego

Here are a couple of new aerial photos from our recently updated collection of San Diego Photos. New Point Loma Lighthouse, situated on the tip of Point Loma Peninsula, marks the entrance to San Diego Bay. The lighthouse rises 70' and was built in 1891 to replace the "old" Point…

Phil CollaJanuary 26, 2009

Photography

Marine Mammal Commission 2007 Annual Report to Congress

Each year, the Marine Mammal Commission prepares its annual report to the United States Congress. For the 2007 edition of the report, which is the most recent, all of the photos on the front and back cover are mine. When the report was presented at a special Joint Session of…

Phil CollaJanuary 14, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego Carlsbad

Batiquitos Lagoon Sunset

Tracy and I went for a walk along Batiquitos Lagoon near our home in Carlsbad. This is the sunset we saw. Sunset reflected in the still waters of Batiquitos Lagoon. Image ID: 22284 Location: Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad, California, USA

Phil CollaJanuary 13, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego Panoramas San Diego

San Diego Waterfront from Coronado Island

Here is the last shot of the San Diego city skyline, over San Diego Bay, taken about an hour after the first one and the middle one, viewed from Coronado Island: San Diego city skyline at night, showing the buildings of downtown San Diego reflected in the still waters of…

Phil CollaJanuary 12, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego Panoramas San Diego

San Diego City Lights from Harbor Island

Here is another shot of the San Diego city skyline, over San Diego Bay, viewed a little while after the first one and from a different vantage point on Harbor Island. There just a bit of after-sunset color left in the sky. San Diego city skyline at sunset, showing the…

Phil CollaJanuary 11, 2009

Beautiful Views of San Diego San Diego

San Diego Skyline from Point Loma

We have had some mild Santa Ana winds the last few days, blowing the haze out to sea and leaving behind fantastic visibility. I went down to a few of my favorite spots around San Diego Bay to get some new photos of the San Diego city skyline, including some…

Phil CollaJanuary 10, 2009

Arizona Landscape Panoramas The American Southwest The Wave

Panorama of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

The Wave, that much-photographed geological oddity on the border between Arizona and Utah. I spent some time there on my last visit trying to shoot appealing panoramas, but was not entirely satisfied, it is a tough landscape to capture that way. This was one of panorama photos I was happy…

Phil CollaJanuary 8, 2009

California Morro Bay Panoramas

Morro Bay Panorama

I got up early one morning while we were in Morro Bay to photograph the view from Morro Bay State Park, around the bay and north to Morro Rock. There was a slight offshore breeze and the air was cold and dry giving clear views in every direction. My father-in-law's…

Phil CollaJanuary 7, 2009

Rose Atoll

Rose Atoll Marine National Monument

President Bush today created Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, along with two other enormous marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean. With the stroke of a pen, President Bush has protected more marine habitat by far (measured in square miles) that any person in history. This is particularly exciting for…

Phil CollaJanuary 6, 2009

California

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

If you are a third grader in California, chances are that you are doing your Mission Project this year, and my third grade daughter is no exception. Each student is assigned one of the California missions upon which to report. My daughter reported on Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa…

Phil CollaJanuary 4, 2009

California

Snow on San Jacinto

Mount San Jacinto had a lot of snow over the Christmas holiday, the result of a couple of really cold storms passing through recently. Here San Jacinto is seen with some of the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm wind turbines (windmills) at its base. Wind turbines, rise above the flat…

Phil CollaJanuary 3, 2009

California

Wind Turbines and Mount San Gorgonio

While out in the desert for the holiday, I made a early morning drive to see San Jacinto covered by recent snow. I stopped at my favorite promontory to get a few shots of the wind turbines (wind mills). The wind was really howling through the San Gorgonio Pass this…

Phil CollaJanuary 2, 2009

California Morro Bay

Earth Shadow

Have you ever seen those layers of blue, purple and pink along the horizon just before sunrise? The darker sky, lowest on the horizon, is actually the shadow of the Earth cast upon the atmosphere, while the lighter sky above is the atmosphere as it is lit by the sun.…

Phil CollaJanuary 1, 2009

Best Photographs of the Year

Best Photos of 2008

Best Photos of 2008 In 2008, my photographic pursuits took me (and often, Tracy and the girls as well) all over San Diego, the central coast and deserts of California, Canada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, up in a plane and south of the border. Here are the photos from 2008…

Phil CollaDecember 31, 2008

California

I Love L.A.

After the warmth of the desert (grandparents #1 and #2, aunts and uncles #1-4, cousins #1-3), the snow-covered trees and mountains (grandparents #3 and #4), and the spectacular views and empty roads of the central coast (grandparent #5), our whirlwind holiday roadtrip to all our relatives took us to ...…

Phil CollaDecember 30, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Snow Geese Blasting Off at Sunrise, Bosque del Apache

Another early morning blast off of thousands of snow geese (Chen caerulescens), viewed from near the flight deck alongside the main impoundment at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge Snow geese at dawn. Snow geese often "blast off" just before or after dawn, leaving the ponds where they rest for…

Phil CollaDecember 23, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Sandhill Crane in Flight, Bosque del Apache

I had hoped to get a few good photos of a single sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) in flight during our visit to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Sandhill cranes are relatively large birds, meaning they are relatively easy to find in the viewfinder and they fly relatively slowly, helpful…

Phil CollaDecember 22, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Golden Crane, Bosque del Apache

Here is another sandhill crane (Grus canadensis), backlit by a reflected gold sunset, wading through one of the crane pools at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. A sandhill crane, standing in still waters with rich gold sunset light reflected around it. Image ID: 21805 Species: Sandhill crane, Grus canadensis…

Phil CollaDecember 21, 2008

California Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

La Jolla Pelicans

I went down to La Jolla last week to check out the brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus). There is a fence blocking access to the cliffs now, which is unfortunate and a real shame. When I was going to UCSD (many years ago) we would leap into the ocean from…

Phil CollaDecember 20, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Snow Geese on Pond, Bosque del Apache

Each morning I would watch the predawn blast off of snow geese from Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge's main impoundment. Each time was impressive. Afterward, I would move to the crane pools, hoping to watch the cranes take off as the sun reached them and warmed them up. One…

Phil CollaDecember 19, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Blastoff, Bosque del Apache

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is famous for its early morning "blast off", a stunning event in which thousands of snow geese (Chen caerulescens) take to the skies. It does not happen every morning, nor does it happen at the same time on those mornings on which it takes…

Phil CollaDecember 18, 2008

California Joshua Tree National Parks The American Southwest

Joshua Tree National Park Sunrise

On Thanksgiving morning I made a quick sunrise run into Joshua Tree National Park. Fortunately the Starbucks near my mom's in La Quinta opens at 5am so I was fully caffeinated for the drive. I got into my favorite part of the park about 45 minutes before sunrise, parked and…

Phil CollaDecember 17, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Snow Goose in Flight, Bosque del Apache

Our first few days at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge did not yield great opportunities to photograph individual snow geese (Chen caerulescens) in flight, primarily because the geese were spending the bulk of their day in the far northern corn fields, far out of reach of even the longest…

Phil CollaDecember 16, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache

Each evening while we were at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge we positioned ourselves at one of the two northern "crane pools", the ones located on the west side of the road as one approaches the main entrance to the refuge. For 30-40 minutes before and after sunset, sandhill…

Phil CollaDecember 15, 2008

Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Coyote, Bosque del Apache

One afternoon, after arriving at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, we planned to make a circuit of the Farm Loop in late afternoon before finishing at the crane pools. While transiting the center of the refuge we came upon this coyote (Canis latrans), surveying some marsh area from near…

Phil CollaDecember 14, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Snow Geese on a Crane Pool in Afternoon, Bosque del Apache

Midday at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is, for photographers, pretty slow. The bird flight activity seems rather low and the light is harsh. We would return to Socorro for midday, to have lunch, clean up, and catch up on reading the news or having a nap. We would…

Phil CollaDecember 13, 2008

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Photo of Sandhill Cranes at Sunset, Bosque del Apache

On our recent trip to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Skip, Ken and I were treated to several fantastic sunsets as we watched the sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) flying in from nearby corn fields to roost for the night in shallow ponds, where they are protected from coyotes. These…

Phil CollaDecember 12, 2008

Bosque del Apache New Mexico

Histogram Check, Sunset, Bosque del Apache

A photographer checks the histogram on his camera, making sure not to blow the highlights in this crazy sunset. Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) are silhouetted in one of the crane pools at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. A photographer looks on the back of his camera to…

Phil CollaDecember 11, 2008

California Monterey Wildlife

Sea Otter Photos

Check out our selection of sea otter stock photos. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is found along the coasts of the northeastern Pacific ocean. Sea otters are marine mammals. Adult sea otters weigh about 30 to 100 lb. Sea otters are the largest species in the weasel family, but are…

Phil CollaNovember 20, 2008

California Carlsbad Surf

Indian Summer, or, Why We Live Here

Hit the water this morning at 7am. Full sun, deep blue sky, not a cloud, mild warm offshore breezes, glassy sea, small but fun waves. Went for a walk with my daughter at Moonlight Beach at sunset tonight, deep orange-red sky, not a cloud, mild warm offshore breezes, glassy sea,…

Phil CollaNovember 16, 2008

California Carlsbad Surf

Ponto Surf, 11-15-2008

Fun surf at Ponto this morning. Nice offshore wind, shoulder high sets once in a while. It got crowded about 8am, and the high tide softened the waves up so I got out by 9am and off to a soccer game. Wave breaking in early morning sunlight.Image ID: 21779Location: Ponto,…

Phil CollaNovember 15, 2008

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Sierra Nevada

Photo of Mobius Arch, Alabama Hills

Mobius Arch Photograph I made a banzai run up to the Alabama Hills last weekend. The weather forecast looked favorable, and I had not been up along the Eastern Sierra for some years, so it just seemed like the thing to do. I got up early to photograph Mobius Arch…

Phil CollaNovember 10, 2008

California Monterey Wildlife

Not Impressed

We came to Monterey packing some serious photo schwag to photograph the otters. Between Jon and I, we had two 50Ds and at least one each of 5D, 1DIIN, 1DsII, 300/2.8, 400/DO and 500/4 lenses, plus a nice medium format film rig. This sea otter (Enhydra lutris) was nevertheless quite…

Phil CollaNovember 5, 2008

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