Category Archives: Photographs: Central California

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Birds, Fog, First Light

March 7, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Birds fly above pre-dawn fog at first light

If you think to hard about photography, things can quickly become quite confusing. Why do we make photographs? I have some ideas, but I’m not certain. (They involve searching for ideals, in the classic sense, along with dealing with the inexorable march of time, but it is a long story.) We often focus on the practical matters, partly because it is necessary but also because it is easier. Where should I go? What lens should I use? What are the right settings? What is the best subject? What is the ideal time? What if I come back empty handed? Am I on the right track? And much more.

But occasionally there are perfect moments of clarity, both mental and visual. In my experience, they almost always come as a surprise, though there are ways to increase the likelihood of encountering them. They may come when one is alone or in the company of others. These ephemeral experiences of near perfection may be found in mountains, along the ocean, in a city, almost anywhere if you are looking. Cold, a long drive, waking in darkness — they seem a small price for a few seconds of birds against a softly colored sky in the moments before dawn

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

A Tree, Fog, Dawn Light

March 6, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Thick winter tule fog obscures a wetland tree at dawn

This photograph belongs to a portion of my work that I think of as (to be non-poetic) the “barely there” photographs — subjects of low contrast, sometimes high key, and soft focus that attempt to evoke a mood and which perhaps allow the viewer to imagine what might be there. The photographs often feature fog or other kinds of atmospheric effects, and may be as much about light and color and form as anything.

This was likely the first photograph that was even possible on this morning. The fog was extremely thick, to the point that even nearby objects were obscured. Earlier the opacity of the atmosphere had been matched by the darkness of the light. But subtle and ephemeral things can happen at the boundaries of light on days like this, and as the sky above the fog began to lighter the fog began to glow with the colors of incipient sunrise light and objects like this tree began to be visible in the soft and colorful light.

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

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

Joining the Flock

March 5, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Ross’s geese descend through tule fog to join the flock

The drive to this location in mid-February was, in many ways, very typical. We were up before 4:00 am and quickly on the road in the darkness. An hour and a half later we turned on to the rural roads, and the first predawn color was coming to the sky — and, yes, it was still fairly clear. Soon, however, we began to drive through fog banks so thick that we had to slow, with visibility measured in feet. What had been a highway-speed drive quickly changed to a 15mph crawl as we watched intently for obstacles or other vehicles.

We arrived at our destination, still in very thick tule fog, and got out to get organized for photography. As we drove a gravel road around the area we occasionally caught glimpses of small birds near the route, but the only evidence of larger birds was their distant cries. Eventually we arrived at a spot where we could hear more birds, and occasionally a few would fly close enough that we could see them momentarily. But they remained out of sight as we waited. Eventually a slight breeze began to shift the fog a bit and the flock became barely visible, though light from the rising sun produced a luminous glow. These five Ross’ geese dropped through the fog toward the flock below, with shapes that might make one think of angel wings.

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

Sunrise, Marshland, Birds

March 4, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Thousands of migratory geese fly above foggy San Joaquin Valley marshland at dawn

On this late-February day we arrived at the wetlands well before dawn, slowed by heavy tule fog along the final miles of our route. The fog was thick but not deep, and while our horizontal view was obscured we could see that objects as short as utility poles extended above the fog layer. At our destination we finally stopped, and got out of the vehicle to set up camera equipment and to get the lay of the land.

Almost immediately flocks of geese began erupting from ponds and taking to the sky, thousands at a time. First a group nearby, then one far off to one side, then another at the distant edge of the refuge, and so on until the sky was filled with them. We thought that it was perhaps the greatest bird tumult that we had seen, and we had arrived just in time to see it. (Of course, only a few days later we experienced an even more monumental evening, with tens of thousands of geese and cranes.) At first we simply photographed the birds in the low light, but eventually I turned my attention to the landscape and made a few photographs across the tule ponds toward the first light developing above the Sierra crest far to our east.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Category Archives: Photographs: Central California

Birds, Fog, First Light

A Tree, Fog, Dawn Light

Joining the Flock

Sunrise, Marshland, Birds

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