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: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Trees, Fog, and Geese

January 4, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Ross’s geese fly through early morning fog and among trees in California’s Central Valley

A small group of us met before dawn on New Year’s Day, as we do each year, at a location in the California Central Valley, with the plan of welcoming the (literal!) dawn of the new year in the company of a few photographer friends and few tens of thousands of feathered friends.

It is typical for there to be tule fog in parts of the Central Valley on winter mornings, and we encountered some as we drove. However, we were surprised to find that it had pretty much cleared by the time we arrived, and we actually got to see the sun rise above a distant fog bank. But not long after this the fog began to move back in — first isolated pockets formed above creeks and ponds, and soon it began to collect in long streamers passing overhead. I bracketed a flock of Ross’s geese between a nearby solitary tree (with a couple of hawks that you may spot if you look closely) and a further line of cottonwoods as the fog began to thicken.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Oak Tree, Clearing Storm

January 3, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A Yosemite valley oak tree with autumn storm clouds swirling around granite cliffs

This may be an almost quintessential Yosemite Valley autumn scene — a bit of golden brown meadow, back-lit black oak tree fall color, granite cliffs, and the clouds of a dissipating early season storm.

This is perhaps my favorite time in the Valley, with a snowy winter day providing the only real competition for that designation. There is an end-of-summer feeling still, especially since the days are often sunny and pleasantly warm. The place is more colorful than at any other time of year — spring wildflowers may be more diverse, but the masses of leaves are larger. With an early rain storm, the near-dormant waterfalls spring back to life and the Merced River rises. And behind all of the knowledge that winter’s arrival is only weeks away.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Florence Building

January 2, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A gritty looking Florence building

It was almost the end of our five weeks of American, British, and European travel this past August — from New York City in late July to the UK at the start of August, and then through Paris, Heidelberg, and several areas in Italy. The trip was winding down. Truth be told, we were at the point where we would have been happy to continue traveling, but it was time to return to the US and get back to the so-called real world.

We went out for a morning walk in Florence, heading away from the busiest areas in the opposite direction from our hotel. We wandered up narrow streets to a large, open square, and then simply “random walked” our way back. For an American, particularly a west coast American perhaps, central Florence is a remarkably different looking place. This is not just because of the very old streets and buildings but secondarily because of the state of their exteriors. In many places things are very similar colors, in a range between brown and tan, and most buildings don’t look all that fancy from the outside. There is a striking lack of advertising signs — a shop might typically have one sign and it probably isn’t lit much if at all. This building had a practical look about it, with pipes, wires, and conduit on the outside. The light was remarkable — an unusual combination of brilliance combined with a certain softness that the Italian atmosphere provided almost the entire time we were there.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Sandhill Cranes, Pond, Sunrise

January 1, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The first light comes to a pond as sandhill cranes begin to take to the air

Morning in these wetlands brings the literal reawakening of life in and above the ponds. I usually arrive before dawn, in the faint light of morning dusk and often in fog, just as the sunrise chorus of birds begins. Some take flight, but many are still settled in. Sandhill cranes often stand in shallow water and on low islands in this far corner along the western edge of this place, and I often begin my day of photography with these birds.

This was mostly a clear morning, with just a bit of general morning haze and here and there small bits of fog. As the pre-sunrise light in the eastern sky increased these cranes became more active, and eventually they began to take off and depart for the day. I made this photograph just as the first sunrise light arrived on the trees along this levee.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

All posts by G Dan Mitchell

Trees, Fog, and Geese

Oak Tree, Clearing Storm

Florence Building

Sandhill Cranes, Pond, Sunrise

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