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

Riverbank, Cottonwood Trees

December 1, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Cottonwood trees with fall foliage reflected in the calm surface of the Merced River in late afternoon light

It is barely a month after I made this photograph, and the feeling is now more that of winter than of autumn. (Though where I live some autumn leaves are still falling for a few more days.) But back at the end of October I spent two days photographing fall color in Yosemite Valley. Sierra weather can be almost anything at this time of year, but aside from some leftover snow high up along the Valley’s walls, down below it was sunny and bright with the warm autumn light that can characterize the season in these mountains.

The main leaf color in the Valley comes from black oak, big leaf maple, cottonwoods, and dogwood, each providing its own variations of color and timing. When I was there the maples were a bit past their peak, and at least some of the dogwoods were still becoming more colorful. It seemed like cottonwoods were very close to their most colorful and the black oaks were also quite good. On the first afternoon I spent some time wandering along a section of the Merced River, photographing the cottonwood trees with the Valley’s cliffs as a backdrop and occasionally with the autumn-smooth waters of the Merced reflecting their colors.

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.

Deals and Sales

Updated Black Friday Sales at B&H

November 30, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Site-sponsor B&H sent me a list of some Black Friday specials that I’m passing on here…

Updated Black Friday/Cyber Monday and other deals from site-sponsor B&H Photo. (Additional deals on listed below from prior dates – most are still valid.)

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens for $1799 after checkout and $300 mail-in rebate. According to B&H, the price will appear at $2299 on the product page, but will change to $2099 at checkout. A Canon mail-in rebate for $300 is available, bringing final cost to $1799. (Rebate form link)
Canon PowerShot G15 Digital Camera for $299 – includes $150 “instant savings” and a Sandisk 32GB memory card.
Nikon D7000 SLR Digital Camera (Body Only) for $699 after an “instant savings” promotion.
Nikon 1 J1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 10-30mm VR Zoom Lens (Silver) for $199 (also available in other colors)
Nikon Lens/Body Bundle Savings (NOW through November 30 at 11:59PM EST only) “The More you buy… the more you save” Nikon promotion: Purchase a Nikon Df, D7100, D5300, D5200, D610, D7000, D3100, D3200, D5100, D800, and D800E – and get additional savings on a variety of bundled lenses.
Pentax K-5 II Digital SLR Camera for $599 (body only) by way of $500 “instant savings” promotion
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Software for Mac and Windows (Boxed Version) or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Software for Mac and Windows (Download) for $109 with “instant savings” promotion
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Power O.I.S. Lens (Silver) for $324.95 ($50 “instant savings”)
Lowepro Pro Roller Lite 150AW (Black) for $119.95 (was $279.95!)
Also… a link to B&H Black Friday Computer Deals.

Use links to verify the pricing and product information at B&H

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Germany, Photographs: Travel

Heidelberg College

November 30, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The front of a building identified as “Heidelberg College,” Heidelberg, Germany

To answer likely the first question, this is not Heidelberg University, a very old and very highly regarded institution. As near as I can tell it isn’t even related to the University, though information about a “Heidelberg College” in this town is sparse. (One source suggests that it might be a high school or similar, though I’m not sure about that.) The building was along our typical walking route to the old town section of Heidelberg, and the orderly appearance and combination of colors had caught my attention the first time we passed.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Calf, Cottonwoods, and Cranes in Flight

November 29, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A calf grazes near a row of autumn cottonwood trees on a foggy morning and as sandhill cranes fly overhead

On this foggy morning I had begun photographing a bit earlier, just at dawn. I gradually worked my way along a gravel country road, stopping frequently – spending more time stopped than driving, actually – to photograph the foggy landscape and migratory birds. At this early hour, the sandhill cranes were my primary targets. At times, when the fog cleared a bit, it was possible to see many of them taking off for distant points as the day began. When the fog thickened, they were heard more than seen, at least until they flew close enough to momentarily appear overhead through the fog.

In a place where the road paralleled a row of cottonwood trees with golden autumn leaves I stopped to wait for the birds to fly overhead. From a distance away I had figured out that many of the cranes were headed this way as they took off, so it seemed that if I stopped and waited here quietly the birds might come to me. And they did – every few minutes another group would fly low over my position. I shared this spot with a herd of cattle, quite a few of whom found me to be the most interesting thing in their early morning world and stared quietly at me. One calf that had passed beneath a fence around the pasture was busy grazing along the lane, so I stopped and photographed it beneath the cottonwood trees as a group of sandhill cranes passed overhead.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

All posts by G Dan Mitchell

Riverbank, Cottonwood Trees

Updated Black Friday Sales at B&H

Heidelberg College

Calf, Cottonwoods, and Cranes in Flight

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