Ian Grant Photography Blog : Wedding, Headshot and Landscape Photography

Location: Point Lobos State Reserve, CA // Google Maps
See the Gallery / See The Rest of Point Lobos

One of my favorite drives from LA is up to Point Lobos Reserve above Big Sur and below Monterey and Carmel. Its a small but amazing little piece of land where there are tons of tidal pools, beautiful Monterey cypress groves, otters, seals, etc. all in one place. I usually go up there a few times a year and every time I love it just as much. If you’re ever in the area, it’s a definete must of a stop. Good friend Edward Weston used to hang out in the area.

Edward Weston - Point Lobos, 1940

Edward Weston - Cypress Point Lobos, 1939

via wikipedia.org;
Point Lobos State Reserve commonly referred to as simply Point Lobos is a sea side state reserve south of Monterey, California. The very precipitous drop in the ocean floor off Point Lobos (reaching levels characteristic of the mid Pacific within a few kilometres of shore) gives rise to strange tidal effects, with unusual levels of oxygen being injected into the ocean water. This in turn has attracted an unusual collection of plant and animal life, ranging from high plankton concentrations, moving up the food chain to large mammals.

Point Lobos contains a large number of hiking trails, many next to the ocean, and a smaller number of beaches. The reserve also contains a small museum in the historic Whalers Cabin. Point Lobos is one of only two places were wild Monterey Cypress can be found. The waters around Point Lobos contain extensive kelp forests. About half the reserve is under water, and can only be explored by SCUBA diving.

Landscape artist Francis McComas described Point Lobos as “the greatest meeting of land and water in the world.”