Photos of the Salinas River at Sundown

Peace at the River as the Sun Sets

After walking through Union Road Wine Country yesterday, I stopped at the river on my way home just as the sun was almost down. I parked on Navajo off South River Road and all these pictures were taken in the same block within a 20-minute period. It was quiet except for the singing birds. I experienced great peace here after a hectic day. 

The Salinas River at Sundown

At one point I looked down toward the river and saw footprints of someone who obviously made a path to it. I used a zoom for this shot because I didn't dare get close by taking that same slippery and wet path. 

Footprints in the Sand Lead to the River's Edge

The same footprints are on the left of this photo. I aimed the camera so that the true colors of the plants and the hill would show, but it muted the colors of the sky. 

Green Hill above the River

My Cameras

I took these photos with a point and shoot Nikon Coolpix S9300. I love this camera because it fits in my purse or my camera bag and it gives me 16 megapixels and an 18x zoom so that I can capture wildlife without scaring it. I also had my Canon PowerShot SX410 IS along. Both the cameras fit in my shoulder camera bag together, and I can also fit in extra batteries and flash drives, along with my driver's license. 

When I go for a photo walk I pack both cameras into the bag and go. The PowerShot gives me 20 megapixels and a 40x optical zoom, but the Coolpix is often all I need and sometimes handles colors better. Both shoot HD video. The products below are the ones I use myself. 

 Nikon Coolpix S9300 16.0 MP Digital Camera - Silver Canon PowerShot SX410 IS (Black) Canon PowerShot SX410 IS Digital Camera Case Camcorder and Digital Camera Case - Carry Handle & Adjustable Shoulder Strap - Black / Grey - Replacement by Synergy SanDisk Extreme 32GB 90 Mb/s SDHC UHS-I Card (SDSDXVE-032G-GNCIN) [Newest Version] Powerextra 2 Pack Replacement Battery and Charger for Nikon EN-EL12 and Nikon Coolpix AW100, AW110, S640, S6000, S6100, S6150, S6200, S6300, S8000, S8100, S8200, S9050, S9100, S9200, S9300, S9500

If you need an online photo editor, I have reviewed FotoJet, my most used online editor, and linked to that review.  I used it for these shots to crop and add text. FotoJet has a free version that handles the basics and helps you design collages and other projects with your photos. There is also a paid version if you want more fonts and effects.

This next photo is almost the same scene as the last photo, but I focused on the sky instead of the ground colors because I wanted to capture the sunset. The way I aim the camera determines which colors will show best. I haven't mastered the manual settings yet, so I use the AUTO setting most of the time. I also occasionally use Macro or Zoom when needed. For some sunsets, I also might use the dawn/dusk scene setting. 

Pastel Sunset over the Salinas River

Back to the River

This next photo is similar to one above, but it focuses more on the bank of the river and the hill.  

Sunset over the Hills above the Salinas River

Below I've  focused on just the sunset.

Lone Tree Beside River as the Sun Goes Down

My focus in this next photo is the reflection in the inlet of the overhanging branches of what I believe is a willow tree. 

Tree Reflection in River Inlet

In case you missed my other recent posts with photos of the Salinas River, please follow these links to find them. 

Salinas River Walk Photos and Sky Journal
Salinas River Photos from Vineyard Bridge in Templeton
Rain, Rain, and More Rain in Paso Robles
The Salinas River: Now You See It

Personal Note

I will not be posting tomorrow because I'm having a root canal procedure under sedation. I will be sleeping most of the day afterward, and I have instructions not to work -- not even on the phone. I did this last week, too, so I know now how the sedation affects me. 

I posted about my experience with the sedative on myLot, a discussion forum. You can read it here if you want to: Root Canal Report and my Experience with Halcion. You do not have to join the site to read this, but only members can comment. This site is my preferred social network because it's really social and the discussions often go deep. I've made many online friends there over the years whom I now know better than my non-virtual friends. 

****