Trees, New Grass, Tule Fog. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Light filters through Central Valley tule fog along a tree-lined gravel road.

A foggy morning like this one has distinct phases. I like them all, but this point of transition is often a favorite. Frequently the morning begins, for me at least, well before dawn as I drive down some slender two-lane road between fields, unable to see more than a hundred feed ahead. The photography often begins as the first light starts to diffuse into the fog. (It happens faster than you might expect since the tule fog layer is usually quite shallow.) After sunrise the fog will eventually clear, though it may take hours before it breaks tip enough to let light create shadows.

I made this photograph at that point — when the fog may be thick in one spot but thin in another nearby, and directional light and soft shadows begin to appear. This road could be almost anywhere in the Great Central Valley of California, though it is a particular one that I know quite well. Here I may spot geese or cranes (and perhaps cattle!) to the left and blackbirds or an occasional own in the trees to the right.

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 and Amazon.

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Central Park, Christmas Day. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A wintry Manhattan scene in Central Park on Christmas day.

When in Manhattan, walk! We learned that lesson on our first serious visit a few decades ago. That was a surprise to these California natives, who live in a world where people drive nearly everywhere. (Things are so spread out here that it is rare to be in a place where everything you generally need can be found in walking distance.) But it quickly became apparent that everyone walks, even if only from the subway station to their local destination, and that you’ll see a lot more if you are on foot, too.

We were in Manhattan again during the last week of 2019. (Funny story — the two times we are most likely to visit are in late December and August. I can hear New Yorkers groaning at that. And they are right.) As always, walking was high on our agenda for the visit, and we were out on foot every day. On this day, relatively “warm” for Manhattan winter, we walked up into Central Park, crossed it, and walked by down along its west side.

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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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