Life on the Pacific Coast Highway - CA Beach Towns

Life on the Pacific Coast Highway - CA Beach Towns

Ultramarine Photo embraces the open road with Life on the Pacific Coast Highway, a brilliantly colorful collection from scientist, photographer and Southern California girl Isabelle Winardi.

Utilizing the rich pastels and carefully-placed shadows of her signature style, Isabelle takes us on a lively tour of the sunny paradise she holds so dear.

Each bend in the road brings new surprises, and a gentler-yet breeze.

An aerial view captures the vibrant turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean crashing against a sandy beach, highlighting a unique circular concrete pool with people swimming, and a distinct white staircase leading towards the shore, all bathed in soft, bright light.

Tides

I really love tide pools. I love observing the sea creatures in their natural habitat, all the little fish and the crabs. I've seen a lobster before too! I really want to see an octopus, although I have yet to do so.

An aerial view captures the clear turquoise waters of Laguna Beach, California, gently washing over rugged, textured rock formations and a sandy shoreline, with light foam indicating the ebb and flow of the Pacific tide.

Laguna Beach

There's a lot of life that occurs in these tide pools, but they're actually quite rocky, they're very harsh environments. It's crazy that those animals and those plants are able to survive in such a harsh environment that's constantly changing.

An aerial view captures numerous surfers and swimmers in the turquoise and sandy-brown waters of Huntington Beach, California, amidst foamy white waves, showcasing a bustling surf scene on a bright, sunny day.

Huntington Beach

During the summer, they hold a surf competitions here. I was very lucky .. 'oh my gosh, there are a lot of surfers!' I captured a moment when they were all practicing.

A wide, pastel-toned sandy beach on the California Coast, dotted with numerous colorful beach umbrellas and sun shelters, with people relaxing and swimming in the distant ocean under a bright, hazy sky.

Umbrellas

Every time we go to Balboa Island we make sure to get a chocolate-covered frozen banana, just 'cause it's funny.

A wide, sandy beach on the California Coast at dusk, with gentle waves washing ashore and a few scattered individuals. In the background, coastal hills are topped with buildings and a faint plume of smoke rises into the orange-hued sky.

Palisades Fire

It's this strange separation where there's people who have lost their entire livelihood and their home burned down, and then there's people five miles away from the fire just having another day at the beach.

A bustling, pastel-toned view of a crowded Santa Monica beach in California, with numerous beachgoers, colorful umbrellas, and various activities spread across the wide sandy shore, leading to the gentle waves of the Pacific Ocean under a hazy sky.

Santa Monica

This was also captured from the pier, but not on the day that there was a fire. A totally normal day, people enjoying themselves. I really love the colors in this one.

A brown pelican stands prominently on a weathered wooden pier, looking towards the viewer, with a metal railing framing the distant sandy beach and calm ocean waves under a soft, hazy sky. The scene is rendered in pastel tones.

Pelican

Everyone who saw the Pelican was like, respectful of it. People took photos, people were interested by it, but they kept their distance.

A pastel-toned view of the iconic Ferris wheel at Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier, California, with its colorful yellow and red gondolas standing out against a clear blue sky, evoking classic amusement park fun.

Pacific Park

I love machines in a specific environment, or when people have recycled scrap metal that they make into sculptures in the desert.

A pastel-toned view of a sunny cliffside spot in California, where groups of people are relaxing under tall palm trees adorned with colorful markings, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Graffiti-covered concrete slabs are in the foreground, indicating a unique urban coastal environment.

Sunken City

It's actually illegal to go to Sunken City, because of the nature of the place. The whole area is very unstable. It's a lot of locals eating, smoking, drinking, having a good time.

A pastel-toned view of white coastal buildings with vibrant blue awnings and balconies, standing on a sandy beach in Orange County, California. Tall palm trees rise above the buildings under a clear blue sky, evoking a relaxed beach resort atmosphere.

Orange County

Growing up in Orange County, the people there, you can tell they're from Orange County. They're nice people and they live in these super safe neighborhoods and all their kids grow up in these super safe schools, but at the same time, there's a bit of distance that comes with them.

A vibrant sunset paints the sky in shades of orange and red over a California beach, with the silhouette of a lifeguard tower and scattered figures walking along the shoreline. The tranquil ocean meets the horizon under the colorful sky.

Sunset II

I wanted to experiment with a different photography style. Through the darkness and the shadows, it's kind of like a closing or an entry.

 

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Check out the complete collection of 24 photos, now available for licensing.

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