“Stairway, Bath” — A partially-enclosed stone stairway connects streets in Bath, England.
It is easy for travelers to get swept up in seeing all of “the important sights,” the things that all the guidebooks list as the “Top X Things To See” in every city, town, or village. In truth, there are things on those lists that you really should visit. But there is a ton of fascinating stuff to be discovered if you go out and… just walk, perhaps with no particular destination in mind. These “discoveries” often create more enduring memories than the icons, and they help you start to form a personal relationship with places.
“Autumn Aspen Leaves” — Aspen leaves turn orange and brown in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
There are little personal spots all over the Sierra Nevada that I return to each year — a bend in a road, a tree, a favorite rock, a viewpoint. These trees are on that list. I suspect that most passers-by might not really notice them. They are along a route to a different popular place, and there’s a good chance that most people are thinking more about that destination. And when people leave that other spot, their attention may well be focused on the road more than on a couple of trees. But I notice, and I stop almost every time.
“Spring Leaves” — Spring leaves, photographed at a botanical garden, Bath, England.
I am not the plant or macro photographer in the family. That would be Patricia Emerson Mitchell, my wife, whose camera is most often fitted with a macro lens. But I tag along, and I enjoy the challenge and the change that comes with photographing small things. While we were in Bath, England last June we visited a botanical garden, and I made this photograph while wandering among the plants.
“Boulder, Stream, Autumn Trees” — Autumn aspen trees line a Sierra stream interrupted by a boulder.
I have stopped to look at and sometimes photograph this little stream for a couple of decades. It lies along a road in the Eastern Sierra Nevada where I often photograph fall color and occasionally go to access backcountry trailheads. At the right moment of the day and season, it is surrounded by very colorful aspen trees.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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