Abandoned Buildings, Eastern Sierra. Near Lee Vining, California. July 25, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Blood-red dawn light illuminates eastern Sierra Nevada peaks of Yosemite National Park and morning clouds above abandoned high desert cabins in the sage brush along highway 395.
Many who travel the eastern Sierra on highway 395 have no doubt seen these two abandoned buildings along the highway not far from Lee Vining, set against the background of the Sierra’s eastern escarpment along the border of Yosemite National Park. I’ve noticed them for years and have tried to photograph them a few times in the past.
On this late-July morning I had gotten up very early at my Tuolumne Meadows camp site and decided that there might be enough interesting clouds to warrant a trip down to the South Tufa area of Mono Lake for a sunrise shoot. However, I apparently didn’t get up quite early enough (actually, I miscalculated the time of dawn) since the sun began to rise above the horizon just before I turned east from 395 onto 120 to get to the lake. For a moment I vacillated – should I hurry on to get to Mono as soon after sunrise as possible (since the light gets there a few minutes later) or shoot whatever I could see right then and there? The intense red light made the decision for me and I quickly pulled over near these buildings and made a few exposures as the saturated and very red morning light hit the mountains and the clouds.
This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
G Dan Mitchell Photography | Twitter | Friendfeed | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Email
keywords: blood, red, dawn, morning, sunrise, clouds, sky, virga, eastern, sierra, nevada, mountain, range, yosemite, high, coiuntry, parker, pass, snow, eastern, escarpment, forest, sagebrush, high, desert, red, pink, abandoned, dilapidated, cabin, ranch, sagebrush, highway, 395, lee, vining, mono, lake, county, roadside, fence, barbed, wire, landscape, travel, scenic, stock
True! I wonder if it has a name already? Lot’s of these places do.
Dan
This place needs a name! It’s so Sierra 395 landmark, fantastic light Dan.
You have a point about the light, couple that with the fact your being buzzed by cars and have to get creative with the limited points of view because of the fence and private property. But, you’ve done it well.
Hey Dan, I know those buildings well! Great image of them and a nice evening to boot it looks like. Great image!
Dan, I loved this photograph. There is something mystical about those old abandoned houses, that have attracted me before too. I had placed my lens and tripod here couple of times before, but never made a photograph as the light was not right. This photograph is amazing. Thaks for sharing.
Thanks for your kinds words! It has always surprised me that this is a more difficult subject to shoot than I would expect – the light isn’t easy here!
Dan
Thanks, Richard. The unusually red color came from a very red sunrise going on behind my camera position.
This is great, Dan. I love the color and the landscape.