This rare combination of fog flowing into the bay area after the sun has set is one of the most treasured shots a photographer can capture at this location. I have adventured to our local mountain countless times in hopes of getting photos like this but have only succeeded on a few occasions. This summer, although I don't reside in the bay anymore, I was able to witness this beautiful night of fog during a one week visit and better yet, share it with some friends who have never gotten to capture this phenomena before. This photo will always be special to me because I was never sure if I would be able to shoot my favorite subject in the same way after moving away but it seemed like San Francisco had a treat in store for me during my time there.

fog flows over city lights

A photo from the first time I went to Mt Tam with the goal of capturing San Franciscos infamous fog. This beautiful area was elemental in my growth as a photographer, I would visit over and over to capture these photos of flowing low clouds and over time these visits helped me hone my skills and grew my obsession.

Timeless Fog x Cody Mayer edition

I began my photography journey taking photos of the ocean. Surfers gliding across the waves and sunsets on the beach consumed my first 2 years behind the lens. During that time I came across the panning technique, where you move the camera with subject so that everything in the photo is blurry except for that one figure. Surf photographers employ this to create the illusion of speed and motion in a still photograph and there was a time where I was obsessed with this style. While trying to capture the elusive sharp surfer amongst blurry waves, I became intrigued by the the patters amongst the waves themselves. Eventually I gave up on capturing the surfer and focused on these patterns, swinging my camera back and forth at the ocean until I got a photo I was happy with. About one in 30 frames would result in something really neat, and those are the photos you see here.



Blurred lines #7

Sand is one of the most fascinating subjects in nature. The way it moves, the texture it creates, and the simple lines that get drawn make it endlessly intriguing to me. I’ve spent a lot of time photographing sand dunes in the last few years, and have come across some beautiful light and composition opportunities. None of those have stood out to me as much as this one, an absolutely perfect almost fake looking s-shaped dune that I discovered while wandering through the mess of sand that covers Death Valley. The simplicity of the sand and the soft light made for the most minimal scene, one that calms the viewer and to me is the ideal representation of how perfect our planet can be.

Solitude

Every summer brings low fog to the hills of the bay area and it's one of the most spectacular sights to see and capture. On this particular day, the fog was covering almost every tree except for this tiny patch. This image was taken during my favorite time of day, shortly after sunset when the sky was filled with pink and purple clouds. It will be the first of 10 photos in my fog wave collection. 

Tree Islands and Cloud Waves

A beautiful small thunderstorm forms near Eloy, Arizona in the late afternoon. It grows in strength, pushing a perfect haboob (dust cloud) in front of it and eventually dropping lightning bolts around the dust as the sun set. The rich color of this entire evening is something I'll always remember, all the dust and moisture in the clouds caught sunlight in a way that I've never seen. The strong low level winds of that day shaped this storm into incredible wing like structure and it remains the best evening of storm chasing I've had the fortune of experiencing. 

Sunset Structure 

One of the most iconic views in the world, Tunnel View. I've been here countless times during my visits to Yosemite and every occasion is slightly different. To capture low fog amongst the trees here was always a goal of mine, and on this beautiful morning that dream finally came true. "Valley fog" is of those photos that instantly takes me back to the moment it was taken in, the thrill of pulling up to that parking lot and seeing the clouds swirling below us and knowing that these images would instantly be special.

valley fog

Life above the clouds V2

A photo from the first time I went to Mt Tam with the goal of capturing San Franciscos infamous fog. This beautiful area was elemental in my growth as a photographer, I would visit over and over to capture these photos of flowing low clouds and over time these visits helped me hone my skills and my obsession for the craft grew.

I began my photography journey taking photos of the ocean. Surfers gliding across the waves and sunsets on the beach consumed my first 2 years behind the lens. During that time I came across the panning technique, where you move the camera with subject so that everything in the photo is blurry except for that one figure. Surf photographers employ this to create the illusion of speed and motion in a still photograph and there was a time where I was obsessed with this style. While trying to capture the elusive sharp surfer amongst blurry waves, I became intrigued by the the patters amongst the waves themselves. Eventually I gave up on capturing the surfer and focused on these patterns, swinging my camera back and forth at the ocean until I got a photo I was happy with. About one in 30 frames would result in something really neat, and those are the photos you see here.

Blurred lines #4

Ocean Art V2

A couple thousand feet of elevation gain and some challenging but beautiful miles lead me to this incredible overlook just below a glacier in the North Cascades. Our afternoon was gorgeous but quickly turned smoky due to a nearby fire, so as night fell no one in the group was optimistic about sunrise. However we woke up to some beautifully textured clouds rolling in with gentle streaks of rain that had cleared the smoke. As these clouds caught the light of the rising sun they turned shades of deep purple, pink and eventually a soft but stunning orange. A group of local mountain goats was the cherry on top, this one wandered into my frame for maybe 20 seconds before moving along and that was just enough time to snap this photo, one of the most surreal I've been able to capture in the mountains. 

In the Moment

Cody Mayer 1/1 Photography

A simple pastel colored sunset and rare double fog wave came together to create this one of a kind image for me. The fog is here is flowing into 2 valleys creating the unique pattern I got to capture a few minutes after sunset.  

Twice the flow 

Foundation

Cody Mayer Storm Photography

I woke up, and then snoozed my alarm a few times on this particular morning, but eventually this beam of light shot through my window and I knew something special was happening. I quickly grabbed my camera and hustled down to the side of this stunning lake, aptly named "Picture Lake". I stood here alone in awe of this perfect scene nature had created and spent the next 20 minutes creating here from every angle I could imagine. This image is my favorite from that morning, hope you enjoy! 

The Perfect Light under Mount Shucksan

Simply put, the northern lights (Aurora Borealis) are the most incredible spectacle one can see in the outdoors. Photographing them is challenging in every way; they're hard to predict, capture, and edit, but man the effort is so well worth the reward. This particular night was like any other during my time in Canada, dinner, card games and good vibes. All of a sudden, the sky turns green and purple, and "photographers panic" sets in. My friends and I zoom to this popular viewpoint and spend the next 5 hours marveling at our universe. This image is my favorite from that experience, and I hope you enjoy!

cody-mayer

cody-mayer

Featured (0)

All Works (0)