Dead Branches, Bishop Creek. Sierra Nevada, California. October 3, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A tangle of dead branches along the banks of Bishop Creek, Sierra Nevada, California.
Another photographic irony, perhaps, but I made this photograph within sight of the gaudiest and flashiest brilliant autumn aspen leaves that I saw during the first week of October in the Bishop Creek area. I’m not exaggerating. I had earlier spotted the “gaudy, flashy” trees as I drove away from a nearby location and looked, almost in shock, at their intense red, gold, and orange colors. For various reasons, I did not stop, but I made a mental note to come back here later in the day. When I returned went straight to the color and spent some time photographing it. (A photo of those trees will show up here before long.)
As I finished shooting that obvious autumn subject, I slowed down a bit and walked along the side of the creek in the fading evening light. As I did so, I noticed these tangles of old, dead branches along the bank and wondered how I might photograph them. The interesting and apparently random juxtapositions of the gray branches intrigued me right away, as did the various textures and shapes and combinations of bright and shadowed features. As I looked closer the colors of the scene began to become more visible – the red-brown colors of the pine cone at lower left, the similar tones of the fallen needles, and the slender lines of green where a few blades of grass draped across the branches.
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.
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I think I first saw your work on my cousin’s facebook -Rosemary R. . I love your photography.
Wendy
Wendy, thanks so much for saying that – I appreciate it! (I think I just missed Rosemary in the eastern Sierra this past weekend.)
Dan
Colin, thanks for noticing those subtle colors. I was just having a conversation with another photographer about this photo and how I had thought “black and white” when I made the exposure but then didn’t want to give up those thin blades of green grass and the browns of the cone and the needles.
Dan
Lovely image Dan, the little pine cone peeping out in the bottom left hand corner and the still green blade of grass are positioned so well in the composition. I love these little cameos that can often say so much more than that rather obvious and big grand view.