One of the best parts of being a photography teacher and workshop guide is I get to spend in some beautiful places in nature. We take clients out to remote locations and teach them how to take amazing photographs, the ones they want to put over their mantel and save for all time. We spend a lot of time out in the National Parks and also in the California State Parks, especially along the central coast beaches where we hold workshops.
We spent the day out on Anacapa Island a couple of months ago when the Giant Coreopsis were in bloom and the seagulls were beginning to nest. Anacapa Island is a beautiful little island just off the Southern California coast about 11 miles west of Ventura. It is part of the Channel Islands National Park, so is remote and untouched. The only way to get to Anacapa is by boat, so you need to be prepared for anything. On our last trip to Anacapa, our boat got a little too close to a Grey Whale and her babies and she let us know by breaching about 5 feet from the boat. This trip, fortuneatly was a little calmer.
As we approached the island, a pod of about 50 dolphins greeted us, chasing the boat as we cruised closer to the island.
Once you arrive at the island, there is a 200-foot cliff above the island's dock with a tall staircase you climb with 85 steps.
We hiked the two miles of the island end to end from the lighthouse to the overlook of the 3 islands that make up Anacapa.
Next timewe hope to spend a few days out there camping in the remote campground and enjoying the sunset and sunrise on a island like no other.
Join us next April for our next trip to Anacapa!
Holly Higbee-Jansen has been exploring her fascination with light through photography since she was a young child. Holly teaches landscape photography, is a personal guide for Jansen Photo Expeditions , and runs a successful glamour photography business, Natural Light Photography . Sign up to receive our free newsletter at .
