Category Archives: Photographs: Birds

Photographs: Abstract, Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Flight, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Sudden Flight

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Sudden Flight
A flock of Ross’s geese takes to the air at the end of the day.

Sudden Flight. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A flock of Ross’s geese takes to the air at the end of the day.

As an afternoon of migratory autumn/winter migratory bird photography runs on into sunset and then twilight, it is inevitable that there will eventually be too little light to photograph the way I might during the daytime. But I usually continue until it is virtually dark — to the point that I may need a headlamp to stow my equipment when I finish. During that final low-light period I often end the cycle of increasing ISO and pushing shutter speed, and instead I drop ISO down to the minimum and let the exposure times lengthen, allowing me to work with motion blur from birds in flight.

We had positioned ourselves near a large flock of geese in a pasture, and they were gradually become more restless, beginning to take off in small groups and depart for parts unknown. Groups tend to depart together, and as they do they rise, with little or no warning, en masse and take to the air. It is hard to say what makes a photograph “realistic,” but I often feel that these masses of blurry birds may suggest the quality of these departing flocks at least as truthfully as stop-motion photographs.

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

Geese, Dusk Sky

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Geese, Dusk Sky
A group of geese departs into winter dusk sky above California’s Central Valley.

Geese, Dusk Sky. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A group of geese departs into winter dusk sky above California’s Central Valley.

The endings of these winter days out in the wetlands photographing birds and Central Valley landscapes can be as magical as their beginnings. The ideal morning begins with thick fog that gradually thins as the sun rises, and there is an excitement about the possibilities of the day ahead. The ideal evening extends until it is almost too dark to see, and hopefully features beautiful twilight color and, with luck, a few last opportunities to photograph birds. It is a time of winding down, of quiet, and perhaps some contemplation or a few final moments with friends before heading home.

On this evening we had very intense sky color to the west, most likely on a day when the air never did completely clear. We kept photographing as the sun set, and as it got darker I continued to make a few final photographs. A small group of geese lifted off from a nearby pond in the cold evening air, flying away against a backdrop of trees, hills, and twilight sky.

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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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.

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

Taking to the Air

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Taking to the Air
A flock of migratory geese takes flight on a foggy winter morning.

Taking to the Air. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A flock of migratory geese takes flight on a foggy winter morning.

This photograph comes from quite a few years back, so I may be manufacturing what seems like a reasonably clear memory of this morning. Perhaps I’ve experienced so many that they merge into a type rather than a specific day. But I recall it as one of those times when I arrived to find a large group of geese still settled in on a pond. Before long, they began departing in small groups — not a gigantic unified lift-off.

Judging from the camera information on photograph it was a very foggy morning. Although it was a couple hours after my pre-dawn arrival, the sky is still foggy, which suggests that the tule fog had been dense when I arrived. Such winter days, which begin in opaque atmosphere that lingers for hours, are my favorites in places like this.

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.

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

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

Cranes Above The Levee

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Cranes Above The Levee
A small group of sandhill cranes flies into a mist-filled early morning winter sky above a Central Valley levee.

Cranes Above The Levee. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A small group of sandhill cranes flies into a mist-filled early morning winter sky above a Central Valley levee.

Light comes in infinite variations — bright, warm, cool, clear, misty, back, front, reflected, glowing, harsh, and on and on. (I wonder how many ways there are to describe light?) Photographers and photographers may be characterized by their favorite subjects, how they compose, elements of post-processing, and much more. But what light they prefer and how they handle it may be among the most important factors.

I have my preferences. One of them is for light coming through a glowing, mist or fog filled atmosphere, so bright that you almost cannot look straight at it. In this light the atmosphere almost becomes a tangible thing. This winter morning in California’s Central Valley had that quality as this small group of sandhill cranes flew past.

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.