All posts by G Dan Mitchell

G Dan Mitchell, photographer and visual opportunist focusing on the Pacific coast, the Sierra Nevada, redwood forests, California oak/grasslands, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography and more. Posting daily photographs since 2005, along with articles, reviews, news, and ideas.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Granite Shoreline, Sunset Peak

December 1, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The last sunset light shines on a granite peak above granite outcroppings along a forest-lined subalpine lake, Yosemite National Park

On the day after a long hike to our destination at a high subalpine lake, where we set up camp and settled in for a longish stay, we had gotten up on this morning and started the work of photographing here. The day began early, before sunrise, as we made our first get-acquainted photographs along the shoreline of the lake and then continued to photograph in to the morning hours. As is typical, we returned to camp once the beautiful morning light was replaced by the less compelling light of midday, where we enjoyed the camp rituals of sitting around and talking, sharing meals, taking care of camp chores, and formulating plans for evening photography. After (a very early) dinner, the late afternoon light was about to become interesting, and it was time to head out once again.

As is usually the case (and almost the necessity) among landscape photographers, we each mostly worked alone — though we also encountered one another at times as we wandered the area. We continued shooting as late afternoon turned toward early evening, with shadows lengthening and the color of the light warming. A few benign clouds appeared above nearby ridges as I photographed in quiet forested areas along the lake. The sun dropped toward the horizon, deepening the shadows where I was working, so I moved to a more open area where I could see a small granite peninsula, lakeside trees, and unnamed peaks on the ridge to the east as the last sun touched their summits and the light reflected on the lake’s surface. I made a few final photographs, the light faded, and I walked back towards camp in the evening quiet as darkness arrived.

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Roots and Rock

November 30, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Dried roots of a desert plant wind across bare sandstone

On the scale of “plants trying to survive in hostile locations,” this one seems almost off the scale. It seemed to me that the plant had died, but I could be wrong and it might simply have been dormant. However, apparently in an effort to find water and nourishment, it had gone to extreme efforts. The plant was rooted in a small, shallow depression in the rock that is filled with sand. From there it had grown onto the rock and then continued to stretch in that direction until it was mostly on the hard surface of sandstone.

I was intrigued by the growth pattern of the plant itself, but I was also fascinated by the form of its barren gray branches (or roots?) as they stretched across the rock, and by the complex relationships between the plant’s form and the lines and texture of the rock.

Deals and Sales, Site News

A Quiet Note About About Holiday Sales

November 30, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Like many of you, I can be overwhelmed by the holiday advertising, sales, and promotions. On the other hand, many of us do shop at this time of the year and we do want to get the right items at decent prices.

With that in mind, I’m offering one quiet little post here about holiday stuff on the website — and then I’ll mostly try to keep the volume turned down. :-)

My photographs are available for purchase in a range of sizes and presentations. Read more at the Sales page. Contact me with questions or to order a print. There is a 10% discount on prints purchased this month — just mention this post when you place your order.
Help support my work by making purchases through affiliate links on the blog. These are listed in the sidebar and include B&H Photo and Thinktank. Purchasing through the links will not increase your price, but it does earn a small affiliate fee that helps support this website.
From time to time I share special holiday pricing from the affiliates on the Deals page — visit the page, or see see sidebar link for highlights.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program… ;-)

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Calf Creek Canyon

November 30, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Fall colors along Calf Creek in the bottom of Calf Creek Canyon, Utah

Anyone who has spent much time in this part of Utah probably knows this view along highway 12 between Boulder and Escalante. They (you?) probably also remember this section of the road well, too, since it follows a rather remarkable route as it drops to the Escalante River from plateau country to the west, rises up a narrow canyon from the Calf Creek and Escalante River confluence, and then runs along the top of a thin bit of high country between very deep canyons.

I drove it more than once on a recent visit, but only stopped to photograph on the final traverse after leaving Boulder to head west and meet family at Zion. It was morning, and I had more time than I needed for the drive, especially since I wanted to arrive in Zion at an hour when the light would be good along Mt. Carmel Highway. As I looked down from the road into the Calf Creek drainage I simply had to stop and make a few photographs. The light was slightly softened by high clouds and the fall color of the cottonwood trees and other foliage along the creek bed was at its peak. A bit of haze accentuated the distance as the canyon and its complex geology meandered toward its meeting with the Escalante a few mile further on.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

All posts by G Dan Mitchell

Granite Shoreline, Sunset Peak

Roots and Rock

A Quiet Note About About Holiday Sales

Calf Creek Canyon

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.