River Bank Foliage. Yosemite Valley, California. October 28, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Thick foliage along the banks of the Merced River, Yosemite Valley

One of the reasons that times like autumn are so interesting is that they bring transitional conditions. Here I found a combination of trees still bearing thick green foliage, others turning autumn golden, and still others already having lost many of their leaves. These trees grow along the band between an open meadow and the Merced River, in and area where it meanders somewhat lazily through the Valley.

This area is full of potential subjects, and even though I’ve stopped and photographed here many times I almost always find something new. This time one subject was this dense little grove of trees, with dark trunks standing out against the complex patterns of many leaves. The light came through high clouds, softening its effect but still producing directional light. A moment later and across the meadow I photographed straight into afternoon light as clouds swirled around the tall cliffs to the west.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.