Wave splash at sunset, Pacific Coast. 185mm, 1/500 sec. at f/16, ISO 3200.

Claudia and I are in the northwest corner of California scouting for our upcoming redwoods workshop. I always enjoy coming here, as I love both the forests and the coast in this part of the world.

On a previous visit Claudia had spotted some unusual wave activity at one coastal location while I was off photographing something else. Her description intrigued me, so I kept that spot in the back of my mind in case we got the chance to photograph big waves there. And we got that chance on Tuesday, with waves 16 feet or higher according to the nearest wave buoys. Waves like that are unusual for this time of year, so it seemed like a great opportunity.

And everything worked out beautifully. We watched some fascinating wave action, with waves crashing into and rolling over each other. It was a treat to photograph – though the photography was challenging. It wasn’t easy to predict where a wave might break or splash, and I probably missed more photos than I made. But the challenge made it more rewarding when things came together.

I mostly used fast shutter speeds to freeze the motion of the water. But I also tried some slower shutter speeds (either 1/4 or 1/6 sec) while panning with waves, and a few of those images seemed to work.

Here’s a selection of those wave photos from Tuesday, with both fast and slow shutter speeds, and in both color and black and white. All these images were made with a telephoto lens (100-400mm zoom), as I wanted to fill the frame with a wave to show off it’s texture and form.

I love watching ocean waves. They’re always mesmerizing, and really large waves are awe-inspiring. It’s also super fun to try to photograph those big waves, and I had a great time doing that on Tuesday. I hope to have another chance soon.

— Michael Frye

Surging wave, Pacific Coast. 379mm, 1/500 sec. at f/16, ISO 160.

Churning waves, Pacific Coast. 274mm, 1/500 sec. at f/16, ISO 160.

Rooster tail, Pacific Coast. 247mm, 1/500 sec. at f/16, ISO 160.

Rolling wave, Pacific Coast. 315mm, 1/500 sec. at f/16, ISO 160.

Wave form, Pacific Coast. 241mm, 1/6 sec. at f/16, ISO 100, ND filter.

Breaking wave, Pacific Coast. 190mm, 1/6 sec. at f/16, ISO 100, ND filter.

Related Posts: Light, Weather, and Waves Along the Oregon Coast; Return to the Redwoods

Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He lives near Yosemite National Park in California, but travels extensively to photograph natural landscapes in the American West and throughout the world.

Michael uses light, weather, and design to make photographs that capture the mood of the landscape, and convey the beauty, power, and mystery of nature. His work has received numerous awards, including the North American Nature Photography Association’s 2023 award for Fine Art in Nature Photography. Michael’s photographs have appeared in publications around the world, and he’s the author and/or principal photographer of several books, including Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters, and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.

Michael loves to share his knowledge of photography through articles, books, workshops, online courses, and his blog. He’s taught over 200 workshops focused on landscape photography, night photography, digital image processing, and printing.