Monthly Archives: April 2008

Commentary, Technique

Accidental Photograph

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Imagine that you had been planning a particular shot for a few months. The time was right – or so you thought – so you went to photograph it. Just as you were just finishing you turned around and saw another shot that you hadn’t noticed before. “Wow. I’d like to shoot that one!”

Let’s say that you figured that a focal length of about 100mm would be right for it so you reached into your bag and pulled out a lens to replace the lens that was on the camera. After attaching this lens something seemed odd when you looked through the viewfinder; the subject seemed a lot smaller than you expected. Undismayed you zoom in but can’t get “close” enough. But then you think, “Hey, wait. I kinda’ like the way it looked zoomed out.” So you shoot at the wide end anyway. You finish and put your camera away – and realize that instead of shooting at 100mm you were shooting at 17mm. Wrong lens. And you didn’t even notice. Sheesh.

You get home and go through the photos from the day’s shoot – and this oddball 17mm shot seems to get your attention. In fact, by the time you are done it not only seems like the best shot of the day but perhaps one of the better photographs that you’ve made recently.

By accident. As the result of a dumb mistake.

Would you admit this? Neither would I.

Photographs: Central California

Two Oak Trees, Morning

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Two Oak Trees, Morning

Two Oak Trees, Morning. Pacheco State Park, California. March 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two oak trees and grassland in morning light. This scene was photographed at Pacheco State Park on the top of the mountain range between Santa Clara Valley and California’s Great Central Valley. This park is a great place to see spring wildflowers, though the persistent winds can make photography challenging.

I always think of one other connection when I pass by this area or, better yet, stop and visit. When John Muir first travelled to the Sierra he came through this pass, and he marveled (as Muir frequently did) at the carpet of wildflowers extending into and across the valley in front of him. While we no longer see the sight the he described, during a few weeks each spring the wildflowers are thick enough that you can almost imagine it.

keywords: oaks, trees, grass, hills, sun, light, morning, early, fence, ridge, sky, silhouette, pacheco, state park, california, pass, usa, travel, scenic, nature, plants, spring, landscape, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

From Pacheco to the Sierra, Spring

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From Pacheco to the Sierra, Spring
From Pacheco to the Sierra, Spring. Pacheco State Park, California. March 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white spring view from the grass and flower covered hills of the Pacheco Pass area across the Central Valley to the snow-covered Sierra Nevada. (I posted a color version of this photograph a few days ago, but I’m pretty sure I prefer this one in black and white.) Yes, the long focal length compresses the distance between the west side of the Valley, where I was as I shot this, and the east side where the Sierras rise.

I always think of John Muir when I pass though this area. As I recall, when he first headed to the Sierra he went through Pacheco Pass and his description remarks on the carpet of flowers extending into and across the great valley.

keywords: pacheco, state park, california, usa, pass, oaks, trees, grass, hills, mountains, flowers, spring, central, san joaquin, valley, shadows, green, sierra, nevada, snow, covered, peaks, distance, landscape, scenic, travel, pass, stock, black and white

News, Stories

Spring 2008 in Death Valley

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(Update 2025: Due to server changes over the years, some older photographs no longer appear in old articles. Unfortunately thesis one that is affected. See my gallery site for hundreds of Death Valley photographs.)

Being a college faculty member I’m fortunate to get some time off for spring break around the beginning of April. During the past few years I’ve headed to Death Valley National Park to do a bit of photography during the first week of April, and this year was no exception. The plan this year was to meet my brother at Stovepipe Wells on April 1 – he had already been in the area for about a week – and then spend the next four days hitting some of the many interesting photographic sites in and around the Valley.

Continue reading Spring 2008 in Death Valley →