The Abridged version:
- Taking great nature pictures isn’t hard with all the beautiful places in the Sacramento region and nearby, once you know where to go.
- A freelance photographer and writer reveals his favorite places to shoot within two hours of Sacramento.
- When to shoot is an important consideration: Get out there early and don’t get too close to the Tule elk.
One of the best things about Sacramento is the natural beauty here — or a relatively short drive away. The Sacramento and American rivers, surrounded by oaks, cottonwoods and other trees. To the east, the pine forests, granite peaks and alpine lakes. And to the west, the dramatic cliffs, uncluttered beaches and pounding ocean surf.
The sights might inspire you to grab your camera. They inspired me to learn photography, by getting a photography degree at Sacramento City College and taking workshops at Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, where my pictures have been shown at exhibits. Both places are excellent resources for improving your photography skills.
But you don’t need to take classes to shoot great pictures. Just use the camera on your smart phone or the automatic settings on your camera.
When to shoot is an important consideration: The time around sunset and sunrise, called the “Golden Hour,” produces the best light for nature photography, whether you are shooting a sunrise or sunset directly or not. Also, it really helps to stabilize your camera, either with a tripod or by just placing your camera on a well-placed rock or table in front of your subject.
But perhaps the most important thing is where to shoot. You might want to visit some of the scenic hot spots this season. Here are my favorite places for nature photography within a two-hour drive of Sacramento.
Bodega Bay
Alfred Hitchcock might have picked Bodega Bay as the setting of his horror film “The Birds,” but I find the small coastal town to be one of the most peaceful places in the state. One of my favorite photographic subjects is the bay itself, particularly at low tide and around sunrise. The thin layer of water provides a smooth reflective coating for the soft orangey or purplish light in the sky.
Other subjects include cormorants, egrets and other birds in the bay. If you like rocky coastlines, go to Bodega Head or one of several beaches at Sonoma Coast State Park. Do you want to capture the drama of the ocean? Be sure to visit during high tide when waves are crashing against rocks.
Point Reyes
Point Reyes National Seashore has similar topography to Bodega Bay. What Point Reyes has in greater abundance and variety is wildlife. The animals of Point Reyes include Tule elk, elephant seals, bobcats, deer and a variety of birds. Combine impressive wildlife with an interesting landscape and you’ve got pictures worth sharing!
Perhaps the best example is found on the Tomales Point Trail. You can see how Tomales Point is separated from the mainland — the result of the San Andreas Fault that runs through Tomales Bay — and see the rocky Pacific coastline on the other side of the peninsula. Tomales Point provides a home for the once-endangered tule elk. I have found the elk to be cooperative subjects, but don’t get too close to them. You might upset them.
Another trail nearby is Abbott’s Lagoon, one of the best places for birding in Point Reyes. Waterbirds and shorebirds can be found in the lagoon’s two ponds. The trail ends at the ocean, which makes a perfect backdrop for pictures of birds such as the brown pelican.
Capay Valley
Capay Valley runs along Cache Creek and California 16 in western Yolo County. It is farm country like much of Yolo County, but its appearance differs from most of the county. Capay Valley gets hilly next to the Coast Range and green because of the creek and other water sources.
Winter and spring are the best times to visit Capay Valley for photography. Winter for the almond tree blooms. The Capay Valley Almond Festival takes place in February. Spring is the time to see the wildflowers that carpet the valley’s hillsides.
Table Mountain
Speaking of wildflowers, one of the best places to see them in California is North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve near Oroville. Three reasons: unique geology, waterfalls and big wildflower blooms. Get them all in one picture and you’re in business.
I go to Table Mountain every spring to see the wildflowers. It consistently has one of the biggest blooms in the region. It isn’t a secret, as the parking lot fills up every weekend during the blooms. But here is a secret: Table Mountain is spectacular any time of year. The waterfalls, oak trees, rolling hills and geology make for compelling photos. Ancient lava flows formed the basalt rock at Table Mountain.
Effie Yeaw Nature Center
The American River Parkway has many wonderful locations for nature photography. Effie Yeaw is my favorite because it has so much of what makes the parkway special: big, sprawling oak trees, views of the river and a variety of animals, including deer, birds and coyotes.
My favorite subject at Effie Yeaw is the acorn woodpeckers or yellow-billed magpies. Both birds are charismatic and have colorful, photo-worthy plumage. (Fun fact: Yellow-billed magpies, which can only be found in the Central Valley, were the model for the cartoon “Heckle and Jeckle.”)
Emerald Bay
Picking my favorite photo spot in the Tahoe area is tough. They’re all over the place! Emerald Bay has much to admire and is close to other outstanding sights. The bay is a fine display of Tahoe’s famous blue water and is surrounded by beauty — sugar pines, waterfalls, mountains.
One of the best views of the bay can be found — surprise! — on the Bayview Trail. Follow it a half-mile to the first switchback and go out to the viewpoint to get the picture. Or go to lower Eagle Falls next to the highway and get a picture of the falls with the bay in the background. Either way, go early before the crowds arrive.
Carson Pass
Carson Pass is the best the High Sierra has to offer. Go north to Meiss Meadow for scenes that recall the Swiss Alps — wildflowers and snow-clad mountains along the Pacific crest. Or go south to see beautiful lakes like Winnemucca and interesting geological formations like Elephant’s Back.
You can’t go wrong in the High Sierra, unless you forget your camera.
Brad Branan is a freelance writer and photographer in Sacramento.