Aspen Leaves and Stone. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Branches of an aspen tree with autumn leaves against the stone of an Eastern Sierra cliff.

Since summer is about to start… it seems like time to start thinking about autumn. I have written before that my mind is usually as much on the season that it isn’t as on the season that it is, perhaps because I’m always conscious of the cyclical and transitional nature of things. A few weeks ago I had a brief discussion with a friend about fall photography plans, and since then I’ve been considering where I may want to go this September and October. And as those subjects come to mind I cannot hep but be aware of the likely effects that the West’s current extreme drought and heat are likely to have on conditions.

But enough of that musing for the moment. This photographic vignette of a few aspen branches extending across cracked and lichen-covered granite focuses on one of the many little personal spots in the Sierra that I return to every year. There’s a good chance that you would pass this spot and not even see it, but that may be part of what draws me to it. While all of us own the iconic parts of the Sierra, each of us can have his or her own personal Sierra consisting an accumulated set of personal subjects and experiences.

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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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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