Pond, Clouds. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Towering late-afternoon autumn clouds reflected in a Central Valley wetlands pond.
Who isn’t a sucker for big, fluffy clouds and vast expanses of smooth water? I know I am. Such clouds often appear between winter (and late-autumn) storms in California, and they are among my favorite weather phenomena here. While the form is reminiscent of that of big thunderheads, these clouds are not as large and in person they have a much gentler aspect. I photographed these above Central Valley wetlands on a day of soft and diffuse light — it began in fog and ended in lovely late-day light.
Those who look at my photography with a somewhat technical eye may have noticed that I’m a big fan of long focal lengths for much of my landscape photography. I like the way that they allow me to focus on smaller sections of the grand landscape. But I always carry wider lenses, too, and that is what these conditions called for. Knowing this was a possibility, I actually had two cameras with me — one outfitted with a long focal length to photograph birds and the other with a shorter lens for subjects just like this one.
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.
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