Autumn Road. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A gravel road under foggy skies winds among cottonwood trees and other Central Valley autumn foliage.
The natural attractions of California’s Great Central Valley can be a bit more subtle that those of, say, the coast, the Sierra, the redwoods, or the great desert landscapes. This area lacks, for the most part, the spectacular features of those other places. (Though it can provide rather striking views of the Sierra, the coastal mountains, and even Mount Shasta when the conditions are right.) It is mostly a flat place, and most of what we see along the main highways is agricultural land.
But by getting off the main highways, slowing down, and looking around a bit it is possible to find some beautiful and quiet subjects out here. They can be related to the agricultural scene — especially if you can look past “factory farms” — and they can also be found in areas where there is water along rivers or in the wetlands. This photograph comes from the latter, an area where nearby wetland ponds support abundant wildlife, especially in the winter. This day began in thick fog, and I made the photograph as it was starting to thin and break up, adding some texture to the sky and producing soft, directional light on the trees along this rural roadway.
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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