Category Archives: Photographs: Agriculture

Photographs: Agriculture, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Orchard in Bloom, Country Road

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Orchard in Bloom, Country Road
A narrow country road runs past a Central Valley orchard in bloom.

Orchard in Bloom, Country Road. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A narrow country road runs past a Central Valley orchard in bloom.

In general, most people don’t think of the Central Valley as the scenic highlight of California. I suppose that makes sense in a state that includes redwood forests, the Sierra Nevada, the beautiful desolation of deserts, the Pacific Ocean coast, and some great cities. Many Californians think of the Great valley as something to drive through on the way to some other place. But there are beautiful things out there, even in some of the agricultural areas — and recently I have heard that “going to see the almond orchards in bloom” has become a thing.

Every winter when the trees suddenly blossom it seems like “they bloomed early this year.” I finally realized that, no, this is just when they blossom — though the sudden appearance still takes me by surprise. I took a break from bird photography on this morning to drive around a bit, and I found this scene of a narrow road heading down the edge of one of these huge orchards, in morning sun but with sky muted a bit by thin fog.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Agriculture, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Urban/Street

Pink Wall, Midday

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Pink Wall, Midday
A pink wall in midday light, interrupted by shadows, San Jose.

Pink Wall, Midday. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A pink wall in midday light, interrupted by shadows, San Jose.

This is another of my photographs-while-walking, made on a recent midday walk not too far (perhaps a couple of miles) from my home. Fortunately, we live in an area with excellent walking potential. It includes residential areas, a few urban trails, some interesting light industry zones, some older neighborhoods, and more.

I always carry a small camera with me when I walk. Most of the time it stays in the bag, but every so often I see something that makes me glad I have it. I’ve long been intrigued by otherwise-forgettable bits of the urban environment — an unusual paint job, some odd object that the owners may have forgotten, a small evocative scene, and more. Here it was the juxtaposition of colors along with the long June midday shadows. (And with that, it is time to head out on today’s walk!)

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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

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Photographs: Agriculture, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Looking In

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Looking In
“Looking In” — Looking into an old mansion through a screen left ajar.

We were at this location to photograph flowers, but I almost always keep an eye out for other subjects besides the one I came for. This large public garden is centered around a historic mansion, and at times I found the old building to be as interesting as the flowers that were my object. I noticed that the outer screen didn’t quite close all the way, and then I noticed that a warm lamp was barely visible inside the building. Looking in at the warmly lit interior scene, as vague as it is, evokes memories of such places in the winter.

This is one of those photographs that —once again! — proves the point that we often do not expose for some compromise, straight-out-of-camera shot. instead, I like to think about what exposure will give me the image data that I can use to in post to produce an image that is true to what I saw. Here I had to control the brightness of the exterior — which was fortunately muted a bit as the sun passed behind some clouds —while getting enough of an image in the dark and subtle interior that I could work with it in post.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Agriculture, Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Migratory Birds, Wetlands Morning

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Migratory Birds, Wetlands Morning
Migratory birds in Central Valley wetlands, winter sunrise.

Migratory Birds, Wetlands Morning. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Migratory birds in Central Valley wetlands, winter sunrise.

Although it may not be obvious in the photograph, there are so many “things going on” in this scene that one could perhaps almost write a short book about it. The primary subject is likely obvious — a large flock of sandhill cranes is standing in and and along the edge of a shallow wetland pond in California’s Central Valley on a late-winter morning when the birds are perhaps only days away from their annual migration to the north. But a closer look reveals other things and leads in more directions.

The cranes are not the only birds in the scene. A thin white line in the distance is a flock of probably several thousand geese, mostly snow geese but probably also at least some smaller Ross’s geese. Other geese are in the air, and judging from their darker color they are probably white-fronted geese. It is a bit hazy — typical winter conditions in this location — with a few high clouds above. Along the horizon is the soft, early-morning silhouette of the crest of the Sierra Nevada. And a closer look at the scene reveals that this is agricultural country, perhaps the most common sort in this great valley.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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