Point Lobos State Reserve on the Big Sur Coast south of Carmel is the quintessential California seaside location. Once the haunt of nearby residents Edward Weston and Ansel Adams, it’s rocky cliffs, cypress groves, pebbled beaches, and blue lagoons provide an enless variety of photographic opportunities.

As part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary its waters are home to abundant sea life including the endangered sea otter. And extensive trails wander through the rare groves of Monterey Cypress, which only occur here and in the nearby town of Monterey, and are the classic wind-swept symbol of the central California coast.

The City of Refuge (or Pu’uhonua o Honaunau) is one of my favorite spots on the Big Island of Hawaii. This tranquil national historic park is tucked away on the Kona coast not far from the spot where Captain Cook became the first European to land on the Islands and later met his fate.

Today it is a quiet palm lined beach and lagoon perfect for snorkeling or photography, but in ancient Hawaii it was both a favorite residence of the high chiefs and a safe haven for defeated warriors and those who had broken the kapu (ancient laws). It is also a sanctuary for the endangered green sea turtles that feed in the shallow cove and frequent the sandy beach to rest.

June 8th is World Oceans Day – a chance to celebrate the bodies of water that make up 70% of our planet and provide us with food, recreation and place to rejuvenate the spirit. As home to an estimated 230,000 marine species, our oceans are a vast wilderness with ecosystems critically linked with our own. Unfortunately many of the earth’s inhabitants never see or experience our oceans, yet our impact through pollution and over-fishing has taken its toll.

Organizations such as the The Ocean Project provide a great opportunity to get directly involved in protecting the future of our oceans through personal and community involvement. Working with zoos, aquariums, and conservation groups, they sponsor beach cleanups, educational programs, art contests, film festivals, sustainable seafood events, and other activities which help to raise consciousness of how our lives depend on the oceans and what we can do to keep them healthy long into the future.

Jack Johnson’s well known line sums it up nicely when it comes to many things and especially outdoor photography. It’s wonderful to visit and photograph beautiful locations, to have a permanent (or so we hope) record of our experience long after the trip is over, but an added plus is always being able to savor those moments with someone else.

A recent exchange online got me thinking about all the benefits of sharing your photographic adventures with a friend or partner. Beyond the obvious pleasure of simply enjoying a tropical sunset together or wandering down a forest trail and savoring the smell of wet pines after a storm, there’s another big perk – perspective. Having someone in your landscape images can often add a unique visual element that gives the viewer a sense of place, and with action shots the benefit of being able to give direction (although utmost care is needed here) can make for much more compelling imagery.

In this image, my wife Maureen and I are just starting off on a 16 mile journey down the Na Pali coast of Kauai. Shooting this close to the water is always risky business, but I managed to keep my equipment dry with the careful use of a drybag while my partner helped line up the perfect shots. So the next time you’re heading out to shoot bring a friend, and don’t forget to let them get in on the action.

As a landscape photographer I spend a fair amount of time on the road each year often traveling hundreds of miles to remote locations. So it struck a chord when it was recently suggested within the online community of photographers to showcase images of those great scenes that are close to home – essentially in our backyard.

I’m fortunate to have a national park in my backyard and, although it’s 12 miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean and I don’t make it out there as often as I’d like, I do get to see it most every day. Channel Islands National Park is made up of five of the eight Channel Islands with Santa Cruz shown here being the largest. The islands are rich in Native American culture and wildlife and are a divers paradise, but even from afar they make a wonderful setting for a classic Southern California sunset.

I consider this more of a public service announcement than anything (insert wink here).

On the mainland the season is finally in full swing with brightly colored leaves, a crisp change in the air, and perhaps even a touch of snow at the higher elevations. But things in our 50th state haven’t changed much at all since last season, or the season before – in fact, they haven’t changed much in years. The temperature is still a constant 82 degrees, with light trade winds gently blowing the coconut palms. Dolphin frolic close to shore and the golden sun sets into the azure sea most every evening.

So while we’re all excited about the new look in the rest of the country, let’s not forget some things (and places) never change. And in the case of Hawaii, that’s just fine!

McWay Cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park on the Big Sur Coast is one of the highlights of any trip down California’s Highway 1. The turquoise waters of this secluded lagoon combined with one of the only free falling waterfalls on the Pacific Coast make for a breathtaking scene. The cove, which is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, is hidden from the highway but a short trail from the state park leads to spectacular views of the falls and surrounding coastline.

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The Northern Elephant Seal, or sea elephant, ranges from the Pacific coastal waters of Canada to the tip of Baja, Mexico. It is the largest of the fin-footed mammals and with males typically weighing up to 6000 lbs it exceeds the walrus in size. Though they were hunted to the brink of extinction toward the end of the nineteenth century, their numbers have steadily increased in recent years due to protection from both the US and Mexican governments.

Elephant seals feed on fish and squid or other cephalopods and spend upwards of 80 percent of their lives in the ocean. They can hold their breath for nearly two hours and dive as deep as 2,000 feet in search of food. During the three month breeding season, bulls fight to establish territories along beaches and to acquire harems of up to 40 cows. This female is part of a large rookery at one of several pocket beaches near San Simeon, California.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which stretches from San Francisco to Cambria California, is the largest preserve in the nation and one of the richest marine environments in the world. Migrating grey whales, sea otters and elephant seals are just some of the protected wildlife that can be experienced along this magnificent stretch of coastline.

This image was made at Sand Dollar Beach on the Big Sur coast in Los Padres National Forest. It is one of the most rugged and scenic areas on the Pacific and a favorite location for photographers, surfers and beach combers alike.  A 17mm wide angle lens was used to frame the half-mile cove and Santa Lucia Mountains beyond, and a split neutral density filter balanced the exposure between the sunset and flowers.