G Dan Mitchell | Photography

Excerpted from the Night Photography blog by Andy Frazer:

Night and Low-Light Photography This has been a busy summer for night photography books. First, Troy Paiva’s long-awaited second book Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration comes out. Next, Jill Waterman’s new book Night and Low-Light Photography was released early this month…

Although I haven’t read the book yet, Andy - whose work appears in the book, along with that of other night photographers from the Bay Area and beyond - sure makes it sound worth a look. Follow the link to Andy’s site to see the whole post… and a lot more interesting stuff from the world of night photography.

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G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.27.2008 :: Technique :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

I think I posted about this some time ago, but a new announcement from PhotoCycle popped up in my RSS feed today - and it is still worth looking at.

PhotoCycle’s Rare Glimpse into Ansel Adams Work at Yosemite.

For our first episode of PhotoCycle we visit Yosemite Valley with Ansel’s son Michael Adams. Michael tells us about Ansel’s process, workflow and his joy of being a photographer. In rare unreleased footage, we hear directly from Ansel Adams about how to make a great photograph - advice that you can apply to improve your own work.

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.27.2008 :: Photographers :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

Three Pelicans in Flight. Near Pismo Beach, California. July 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.

Three pelicans pass by near the shoreline at Pismo Beach, California.

I’m going to have to come with more creative titles… I have another photo from this past weekend of, you guessed it, “three pelicans in flight” - though the newer shot was made at Point Lobos.

keywords: pelican, bird, shore, shorebird, three, sea, ocean, pelagic, wildlife, flight, flying, nature, california, usa, pismo beach

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.27.2008 :: Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean, Photographs: Wildlife :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

I have added a new “active discussion list” page to my G Dan Mitchell | Photography blog. Click on Active Discussions in the tab bar at the top of the page to quickly find, read, and comment on topics I’ve posted about. (Join the site to contribute your comments and questions.)

I have removed the link to the experimental forum that I added to this site a few months ago. I’ll keep the forum site active for now and continue to monitor it for new posts, but I think that the blog’s built-in discussion feature will be more effective and convenient.

Thanks!

Dan

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.26.2008 :: Commentary :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

News of Canon’s announcement of the new EOS 5D cropped sensor mid-range DSLR is all over the web today - well, at least all over the photographic portion of the web. The new body updates the X0D line from the recent 40D, primarily by updating the 1.6x cropped sensor to 15 megapixels. According to Canon this was done while increasing the performance at high ISOs, keeping the burst rate almost the same as that of the 40D, and maintaining image quality by the use of “gapless microlenses” that can capture more light than would have been the case with older designs. There are other feature updates as well, and it looks like the price will be roughly but not precisely in the same ballpark as that of the 50D… at least once the prices drop a few months after the introduction of the new camera.

What does this mean for the DSLR buyer? The answer is, “It depends.” Continue Reading »

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.26.2008 :: Commentary, Equipment :: 4 Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

Seagull and Chick. Near Pismo Beach, California. July 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.

A seagull tends to her chick on offshore rocks near Pismo Beach, California.

keywords: gull, sea, seagull, bird, shorebird, chick, baby, youth, beak, plant, flower, rock, bill, nature, animal, wildlife, pismo beach, california, usa, stock, parent

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.26.2008 :: Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean, Photographs: Wildlife :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

Cypress Forest and Trai l with Steps. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 24, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.

Stairway on a trail through Monterey cypress forest at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

I went to the Monterey Peninsula on Sunday with a vague plan to possibly shoot at Point Lobos, but to first see what I could find in Carmel Valley. I left a bit late because there was a thick bank of morning fog extending far inland, so I knew that the coast would be socked in. Arriving in Carmel Valley I headed up there to see what I could see - but soon noticed that the fog here was actually clearing out a short distance from the coast. Wanting to photograph the good light on the border between fog and sun as the fog cleared and thinking that this might occur earlier than I had expected, I headed to Point Lobos and started scouting locations in the cypress forest in the section of the park closest to Carmel. The good light looked like it was going to arrive - the fog began to thin and a few blue spots began to appear… but then the process reversed and I only saw a few moments of the light I hoped for. In any case, I did do a few shots in this area, including this one along a section of trail with a stone stairway that has long intrigued me.

keywords: cypress, tree, forest, trunk, branch, plants, trail, steps, path, ocean, bay, monterey, carmel, peninsula, point lobos, state, reserve, california, usa, landscape, seascape, travel, scenic, hike, rock, stock

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.25.2008 :: Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean :: 3 Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

Coast Highway - Big Sur. Big Sur Coast, California. July 21, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

Coast Highway (Highway 1) along the Big Sur Coastline of Central California. Photographed during a “photography drive” up this spectacular and rugged route from Southern California in late July.

keywords: afternoon, bay, beach, big sur, california, fog, Forest, landscape, nature, ocean, pacific ocean, Road, rock, sand, seascape, seashore, sky, summer, travel, usa, water, waves, black and white, stock, coast, highway, shore, shimmer, sun, light, mountains, rock

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.24.2008 :: Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

Cove and Rocky Beach. Big Sur Coast, California. July 21, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.

A cove and rocky beach near the outlet of a silt-filled stream along the Big Sur coastline of California. Photographed during my late July photography trip up the Big Sur coastline via Highway One, the Coast Highway.

The interesting and unusual coloration in the water of the cove seems to come from silt in a nearby stream and/or a shallow underwater sand bar. (I’m not certain which, but I’m inclined toward the former.)

keywords: big sur, california, landscape, nature, ocean, pacific ocean, seascape, seashore, summer, travel, usa, water, waves, usa, sea, cove, beach, rock, headland, cliff, silt, haze, mountain, bay, island, stock

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G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.23.2008 :: Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)

I’ve written before that I’m a big fan of the Lowepro Slingshot AW line of camera packs, especially the Slingshot 200 AW camera pack. I’ve used mine extensively and it provides a good mix of capacity (enough for a body and a few lenses), convenience (carries over the shoulder with one strap), accessibility (swings forward for easy access to gear), low price, and weather protection (built-in weather cover). I especially like it for urban photography where I can keep all of the necessary gear close and accessible while traveling on foot.

Now I see that Lowepro has introduced a new larger model, the Slingshot 350 AW that is designed to hold not only more photographic gear, but also to carry a laptop. I have not yet had a chance to see the bag in person or try it out, but if it works the way I would expect based on experience with the Slingshot 200 AW it sounds like it could be a dynamite bag for travel and especially for air travel.

(You can purchase Lowepro Slingshot packs from B&H via this link.)

G Dan Mitchell's photographs are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. Any use requires permission from G Dan Mitchell. Those reading the post via RSS may click the post title to view the original message and larger versions of most photographs.

G Dan Mitchell :: Aug.22.2008 :: Equipment :: No Comments » (Join the site to leave a comment.)