Mystic © 2011 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith This northern pacific coast lighthouse is located just south of Pescadero and Half Moon Bay, two cute little coastal towns easily accessible from San Francisco, California. I captured this moonset photo the morning the moon was it's closest to the earth in the past 18 years, March 19 2010. The sun still had not risen, so, the light you see in the clouds and reflected on the ocean was from the incredibly bright full moon as it was setting over the Pacific Ocean. We've had virtually non-stop rain over the past week, and this morning was no different - so I was lucky the moon peeked out of the clouds just a bit to add some mystical moonlight to the ocean and clouds.

Pele's Beauty © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith I could feel the heat in the air as we got close to the lava flow! Occasionally the lava would explode as it hit the cool ocean waters. And you could hear the "clinkers" of floating lava (now small hard rocks) on the hull of the boat as we floated on by. This photo was captured August 23, 2010 on The Big Island of Hawaii.

Fire And Brimstone © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith It's was so amazing to get so close to liquid rock, flowing up from earth's core, and creating new land right before my eyes. I just loved how the rock would cool on the surface, creating a skin, that would then break apart as it flowed into the sea. I could even see it dripping onto the sandy shore and as the waves would come in, plumes of steam would rise as the ocean cooled and solidified the lava. About 10 feet of shoreline is captured in this shot. Photo was taken August 23, 2010 in Volcanoes National Park, the Big Island of Hawaii.

Water On Fire © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith To view my photography portfolio, click here: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/Most-Popular Don MacAskill, COO and Co-Founder of Smugmug, published this photo in his April 2011 blog. You can find his blog here: http://don.blogs.smugmug.com/ This photo was taken August 23, 2010 - it captures lava flowing from the Kilauea volcano on The Big Island of Hawaii. This was the main lava flow as it emptied into the ocean. I was sitting in the bow of a boat, bobbing up and down in the ocean, when I captured this pic. You can't really see the scale of the eruption in this shot, but about 15 feet of the "shore" is shown here. You can see the steam created when the molten rock hit the ocean - it would sometimes obscure the lava flows - but it was like a dance, when the steam cloud would part for a few minutes allowing a glimpse of the lava beneath.

Red Skies At Night © 2011 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith I like how the TransAmerica Building is framed within the North Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and thought the overall red hue of the pic made for a dramatic presentation. Published May 13, 2011.

San Francisco Icons © 2011 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith This San Francisco skyline photo was captured on one of those stormy days where the clouds just begin to clear at sunset. So there was a really interesting pattern of light in the sky - where the clouds were parting, you can see the lighter blue caused by the setting sun. I just love how there is a spot of light blue above the TransAmerica Building - it almost looks like that spot is caused by the light at the building's pinnacle. This was also a special time of year to photograph the skyline - the Ferry Building was lit up in Red and Green and the 4 buildings in the center of the shot are outlined in lights. This happens only during the Christmas holidays. This photo is also unusually crisp due to the phenomenally-clear weather conditions that evening. You can see more of my San Francisco Shots, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Twilight Bliss © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Tranquility © 2011 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith You can see more of my San Francisco Bay Bridge photos in my panoramics gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/Panoramics

Little Cup of Sunshine © 2009 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith

Misty Evening © 2009 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith Late afternoon fog rolls onto shore, softening the lines in this photo of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Hostel located near Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco California

Adventure © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith Photo of Dave King singlehandedly sailing his boat from San Francisco to Hawaii in the 2010 TransPac race. I captured this photo in the open ocean, just after he exited the San Francisco Bay. Needless to say, these were challenging shots to obtain - as my sailboat was going up and down and sideways, my subject was doing the same - and we definitely weren't in sync! Even open-ocean sailors reported the sailing conditions to be very severe that day. Articles of the race reported "Conditions were severe under the bridge, and got worse out in the ocean. It was so rough that Second Verse, a Cascade 36, was hit by a wave and knocked down until the spreaders were under water." Dave was competing against 14 boats of all types, broke his boom during the trip, and finished the race in 17 days and 3 hours. Not only did he place second in the race, he received the Single Handed Sailing Society's Belt Buckle, and the Foxxfyre Trophy for creative ingenuity under sail, because after breaking the boom in the race, he repaired it and kept on sailing! Incredible!

Moxie © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith This is a photo of Jeff Lebesch singlehandedly sailing his boat from San Francisco to Hawaii in the 2010 TransPac race. I captured this photo out in the open ocean, just after he exited the San Francisco Bay. This was only my third time on a sailboat and I was hoping for some "calm" sailing conditions since I get queasy easily. Needless to say, these were challenging shots to obtain - as my sailboat was going up and down and sideways, my subject was doing the same - and we definitely weren't in sync! Even open-ocean sailors reported the sailing conditions to be very severe. Articles of the race reported "Conditions were severe under the bridge, and got worse out in the ocean. It was so rough that Second Verse, a Cascade 36, was hit by a wave and knocked down until the spreaders were under water." Here you can see Jeff sailing his Hammerhead 54 Trimaran, named Hecla. It turned out to not only be severe sailing conditions at the entrance to the bay, but also very busy..... we also saw about 4 naval ships, like the one here, on their way into the bay. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice the hiking trail out to Pt. Bonita Lighthouse in the background. You can see my other photos of the TransPac race at www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/Events/Trans-Pac

The Painted Ladies Are Moody At Night © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Entrance To The City By The Bay © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Photogenic San Francisco © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith Many tourists flock to the Marin Headlands to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. Here you can see a photographer on a hill overlooking this breathtaking cityscape. You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Sunset On The Beach © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith This San Francisco beach has the best of both worlds: a wonderful view of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and a seemingly endless view of the majestic Pacific Ocean and Marin Headlands. You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Orange And Blue San Francisco © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith Golden Gate bridge at sunset. The fading blue light of twilight, combined with the red hues of the bridge and the white city lights in the distant background, creates an almost patriotic feel to the city. You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Quintessential San Francisco © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith Sunset view of Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco bay. You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Two San Francisco Icons At Night © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith TransAmerica Building framed by the Golden Gate Bridge at night. You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

The Golden Gate © 2011 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. Friend Colleen on Facebook In this photo, I have removed some Green & White construction equipment (in the U.S., these are generally referred to as "Cherry Pickers") parked next to the building. To see the original photo, CLICK HERE You can see more of my San Francisco photos, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/California/San-Francisco

Honoring The San Francisco Giants © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith In honor of the San Francisco Giants winning the World Series, Coit Tower and the evening sky were alight in Giants colors. You can see more of my San Francisco Shots, by going to my San Francisco gallery: www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/San-Francisco/San-Francisco

Low Tide © 2011 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith This northern pacific coast lighthouse is located just south of Half Moon Bay, a cute little coastal town easily accessible from San Francisco, California. I captured this sunset photo during a mild low tide. There was heavy surf, very large waves, and high wind that day, so there was a lot of mist in the air. This mist softened the lines of the lighthouse and hostel buildings in the background lending a bit of a dreamy quality to the composition. (Note: the surf was so unusually high, that the Maverick's surf contest was held that morning (it's a world famous contest that is held only one day a year, on the day when the waves are expected to be the highest, and it attracts the world's best big-wave surfers). You can see more of my California Coast shots via www.colleenmgriffith.com/Galleries/California/California-Coast

On A Bed Of Urchins © 2010 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith Pacific Coast Tidepools

Dramatic Sunset © 2009 Colleen M. Griffith. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, modified, or redistributed in any way without written agreement with the creator. This image is registered with the US Copyright Office. www.colleenmgriffith.com www.facebook.com/colleen.griffith