It is always very difficult to select a set of my annual “favorite” photographs. I inevitably find that I have left out photographs that others like a great deal, and I know that I include some that Ilike but which may not appeal as much to others. And I always want to include more! :-)
With that in mind, here is a group of slightly more than twenty favorite photographs that I made in 2011. Criteria for inclusion, loosely and subjectively applied, included: a desire to include a wide range of my work, what others told me they liked, photographs that have positive personal associations for me, and element of randomness.
There is a story behind every photograph that I make. (As anyone who has talked to me about one of my photographs probably knows – I can go on… and on… and on… about any of them!) If you want to know more about any of the photographs, you can click on them to go to the original posts here at the blog. And I’d love to hear your reactions to the set, along with any questions you have – there is a place for comments at the bottom of the page.
Yellow Buildings, Shadows, Moving Clouds - Night photograph of two large yellow buildings, shadows, and streaks for clouds moving across the sky above the Mare Island Naval Ship Yard, California.
Central Valley Sky, Winter - Thin winter clouds drift about farmland, Central Valley, California.
Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Morning Haze - Black and white photograph of Golden Gate Bridge north tower, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the East Bay Hills in morning haze.
Zabriskie Point Gully, Morning Light - Morning sun back-lights the dense pattern of folds in a small gully at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.
Mesquite Dunes and Cottonwood Mountains - Soft and hazy late-afternoon light on Mesquite Dunes and lower Cottonwood Mountains, Death Valley National Park.
Dogwood Bloom and Leaves - An early dogwood blossom and leaves in Yosemite Valley, California.
Sandhill Cranes in Flight, Evening - Five sandhill cranes take flight above the Merced National Wildlife Area in evening light.
Four Tule Elk, Point Reyes - Four tule elk in the meadows at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Boulders, Cascade Creek - Granite boulders deflect the turbulent flow of Cascade Creek as it descends to the Merced River, Yosemite National Park.
Trees in Silhouette, Olmsted Point, Sunset - Trees at Olmsted Point are silhouetted agains a brillianlty colorful spring sunset sky, Yosemite National Park.
Trees and Granite, Morning - Morning light shines on the trees clinging to massive granite domes in the high country of Yosemite National Park.
Lamp Post, Brooklyn Bridge - A Brooklyn Bridge lamp post stands against a backdrop of several iconic lower Manhattan structures, New York City
Reflections, Metal Wall, WTC Site - A metal wall near the World Trade Center site reflects the colors of surrounding buildings and passers-by.
Small Trees and Plants, Granite Slabs - Small trees and plants grow in a thin crack among stained granite slabs, Yosemite National Park.
Broken Branches - The broken branches of a fallen tree on the ground in the back-country of Yosemite National Park.
Sunset, Lower McCabe Lake, Shepherds Crest, and Virginia Canyon - Afternoon storm clouds clear from the sunset sky above Lower McCabe Lake, Shepherds Crest, and Virginia Canyon, Yosemite National Park.
Dissipating Storm Clouds, Sunset - Sunset light on dissipating thunderstom clouds above granite slabs, Yosemite National Park
Fallen Aspen Branch, Snow - A small aspen tree branch blown down by an early fall storm rests on snow, North Lake, California.
Aspen Thicket, Bishop Creek - Bright yellow autumn leaves festoon a dense aspen thicket along Bishop Creek near South Lake, California.
Sierra Wave Clouds Above Owens Valley, Dawn - Sierra wave clouds building at dawn are reflected in the waters of an Owens Valley lake.
Rocky Creek Bridge, Sunset - Sunset light illuminates the Rocky Creek Bridge, winter surf, a natural arch, and a rugged section of the Big Sur coastline.
Golden Gate Bridge and Lunar Eclipse - The moon, in full lunar eclipse, passes behind the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Sunset Avalanche, Half Dome - An avalanche breaks loose from the edge of Half Dome as sunset light falls over Yosemite Valley.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more. Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email
I really enjoyed looking at these pictures. They’re my kind of photography. And I appreciate that you have cast your eye on city life as well as all that natural beauty.
Hi Anton: Yes, they were made throughout the year. And, yes, they should share some similar “styling and mood” that reflects my personal style of shooting. I consider that a good thing!
I assume that all these photos were made different time different places during the year, but their styling, the mood if you want, is surprisingly the same.
Good luck this year.
I’m just back from five days photographing in Death Valley… and I want to thank everyone who has viewed my 2012 Favorites and especially those who left such wonderful comments.
Such an awesome collection of images, Dan! I love the symmetry in the Golden Gate & Bay Bridges image, and the scale of the Trees and Granite, Morning is awesome. Always love your work!
Thanks, Jim – I appreciate that! (Anyone else reading this will want to keep an eye on Jim’s Blog where, among other things, he will soon post a giant collection of “Best of 2011” posts from many, many photographers.
Jim, I plan to get an early start on 2012 by joining a photo walk in the Marin Headlands on New Years Day, and shortly after that heading off to do some serious shooting in DEVA.
I really enjoyed looking through these. Hard to pick my favorites, I really like all of them. Aspen Thicket, Fallen Aspen Branch, Zabriski Point and Mesquite Dunes are standouts for me. Very inspiring.
David, thanks for taking a look at them, and I appreciate your comments. I’m especially glad to hear that you like the “Aspen Thicket” photograph – since that one works best as a pretty good size print, and not everyone can see its potential in a small jpg!
I have a couple Elliot Porter prints of similar scenes hanging above my sofa in the living room so Aspen Thicket caught my eye pretty much immediately.
Some real gems in here, Dan! My fav is Zabriskie Point Gully. That looks like the kind of shot where one could spend weeks trying to find just the right angle.
My French is, to put it mildly, “weak” – but Google translation tells me that you wrote: “Hello Flickr friends,
Very nice pictures taken in 2011 and all my best wishes, with lots of good photos for 2012”
Thank you! And best wishes for a great 2012 to you, as well!
Too many gorgeous images to single out just one as a favorite but “Fallen Aspen Branch” and “Rocky Creek Bridge” are certainly at the very top of my list. Thanks for the inspiration, Dan!
Thanks, everyone! You’ve called out a bunch of photos that are really among my very favorites, too. It is always interesting to me to see which photographs people respond to and why – especially since I cover quite a range of subjects.
My wife was telling me that there is at least one that I left out that she thought I should have included. I’m thinking of a sort of “second opinion” page where I might post a few of those, too.
What a great collection Dan! Standouts for me are “Small Trees and Plants,” “Fallen Aspen Branch,” “Broken Branches,” “Mesquite Dunes and Cottonwood Mountains”. And of those, the Small Trees and Plants I just return to over and over. The granite backdrop with mineral deposits almost appears very industrial like, a unique contrast to the natural greens. It is another example of how nature finds a way to grow in the most unique places.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
I really enjoyed looking at these pictures. They’re my kind of photography. And I appreciate that you have cast your eye on city life as well as all that natural beauty.
Some rely nice collection of shoots, was a good photo year (=
Dan,
Your work is always so elegant. I truly enjoyed them and hope 2012 will be as productive if not better.
Hi Anton: Yes, they were made throughout the year. And, yes, they should share some similar “styling and mood” that reflects my personal style of shooting. I consider that a good thing!
Dan
I assume that all these photos were made different time different places during the year, but their styling, the mood if you want, is surprisingly the same.
Good luck this year.
I so enjoy following your photography….hard to pick a favorite. Though the Gully is one I come back to often. Thanks for all the enjoyment !
Great work, Dan. Definitely a good year! Keep it up & best wishes for 2012.
Thanks Gary, and I look forward to your usual stream of wonderful photographs, interesting commentary and stories, and tips over the coming year!
Dan
I’m just back from five days photographing in Death Valley… and I want to thank everyone who has viewed my 2012 Favorites and especially those who left such wonderful comments.
Dan
Such an awesome collection of images, Dan! I love the symmetry in the Golden Gate & Bay Bridges image, and the scale of the Trees and Granite, Morning is awesome. Always love your work!
Wonderful set Dan, I’ve got a few favorites, the metal wall, Big Sur and Golden Gate images!
Here’s wishing you the best in 2012!
Great set of images Dan. I hope that 2012 presents some great photo opportunities for you. Have a great New Year!
Thanks, Jim – I appreciate that! (Anyone else reading this will want to keep an eye on Jim’s Blog where, among other things, he will soon post a giant collection of “Best of 2011” posts from many, many photographers.
Jim, I plan to get an early start on 2012 by joining a photo walk in the Marin Headlands on New Years Day, and shortly after that heading off to do some serious shooting in DEVA.
Take care,
Dan
I really enjoyed looking through these. Hard to pick my favorites, I really like all of them. Aspen Thicket, Fallen Aspen Branch, Zabriski Point and Mesquite Dunes are standouts for me. Very inspiring.
David, thanks for taking a look at them, and I appreciate your comments. I’m especially glad to hear that you like the “Aspen Thicket” photograph – since that one works best as a pretty good size print, and not everyone can see its potential in a small jpg!
Happy New Year!
Dan
I have a couple Elliot Porter prints of similar scenes hanging above my sofa in the living room so Aspen Thicket caught my eye pretty much immediately.
Some real gems in here, Dan! My fav is Zabriskie Point Gully. That looks like the kind of shot where one could spend weeks trying to find just the right angle.
Thanks, Alex. Actually, I’ve been working on that particular subject for several years now! :-)
Dan
Bonjour l’amie Flickr,
DE très jolies images réalisées en 2011 et tout mes meilleurs vœux, avec plein de bonnes photos pour 2012
Martial
My French is, to put it mildly, “weak” – but Google translation tells me that you wrote: “Hello Flickr friends,
Very nice pictures taken in 2011 and all my best wishes, with lots of good photos for 2012”
Thank you! And best wishes for a great 2012 to you, as well!
Dan
Thanks, Bret!
Dan
Too many gorgeous images to single out just one as a favorite but “Fallen Aspen Branch” and “Rocky Creek Bridge” are certainly at the very top of my list. Thanks for the inspiration, Dan!
I’d love to see the second opinion photos too…
Thanks, everyone! You’ve called out a bunch of photos that are really among my very favorites, too. It is always interesting to me to see which photographs people respond to and why – especially since I cover quite a range of subjects.
My wife was telling me that there is at least one that I left out that she thought I should have included. I’m thinking of a sort of “second opinion” page where I might post a few of those, too.
Dan
Dan – always love looking through these. Well done – another great year.
Reflections on the WTC is probably my favorite one of the bunch.
A really good selection Dan. I keep going back to the Sierra Wave Clouds so I’ll put that one at the top of my list.
Thanks for your daily posts. I know it’s not as easy as you make it look.
Dan, such a wonderful selection! You’ve had a very good year. Awesome work my friend! :-)
My favorite is the dogwood. Outstanding! I chased them for a month and never got close to the beauty of your shot.
What a great collection Dan! Standouts for me are “Small Trees and Plants,” “Fallen Aspen Branch,” “Broken Branches,” “Mesquite Dunes and Cottonwood Mountains”. And of those, the Small Trees and Plants I just return to over and over. The granite backdrop with mineral deposits almost appears very industrial like, a unique contrast to the natural greens. It is another example of how nature finds a way to grow in the most unique places.