Category Archives: Photographs: Fall Color

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

Autumn Reflections

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Autumn Reflections
“Autumn Reflections” — Autumn colors reflected on the surface of an Eastern Sierra Nevada pond.

There are several things I like about this little scene, even though it is perhaps not the most shocking and dynamic photograph you have ever seen. For one, I like the range of autumn colors it contains. Yes, there are intense aspens, but there are also the subtle colors of the smaller plants along the shoreline of the pond. The reflection also pleases me — it becomes a sort of geometric abstraction of the detailed forms in the upper half of the image.

This is not a particularly wild or inaccessible location. In fact, the pond is at an intake for a hydropower system, and it is frequented by anglers, who fortunately were not in my photograph! But the fact is that autumn color is nearly everywhere in the Eastern Sierra, and the trees can be just as colorful in place like this as anywhere else.

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

Fall Color, Eastside Canyon

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Fall Color, Eastside Canyon
“Fall Color, Eastside Canyon” — Trees with fall foliage in sagebrush country at the base of an Eastern Sierra Nevada canyon.

Without naming this canyon, I’ll just say that it is one that you have likely visited if you spend much time on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. From the point where you first see the upper canyon, it offers one of the more spectacular views spanning the range from cottonwood country through aspen country to some very high, alpine ridges.

Ascending the eastern slopes of the range, which rise relatively steeply, I am always aware of transitions. In a relatively short distance you can pass though everything from high desert to alpine zones. In this canyon in autumn, the color at the lower elevations comes from cottonwood trees, but by the time you get to the trailheads aspens begin to join the show. I’ve often photographed the whole of the canyon, but this time I decided to limit the view to just the foreground trees and some lower canyon slopes.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

High Desert Autumn Aspens

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High Desert Autumn Aspens
“High Desert Autumn Aspens” — Autumn aspen trees along a high desert creek descending from the Sierra Nevada.

This is a bit of a different sort of aspen photograph from me — not the first one like it but there aren’t many others. After photographing at another location at sunrise I packed up and went exploring in the foothills below the eastern escarpment of the range. (The base of the range is visible at the top of the frame.) This area feels less like “the mountains” and more like high desert. It is less steep, drier, and covered with what we sometimes refer to as sagebrush country.

I made this photograph in direct sunlight and the trees are not even backlit. The light comes from the side, and that does highlight the color of the leaves a bit, but this is closer to what aspen trees look like in “normal” light. This little line of trees grows along the course of a small stream that comes from much higher up in the mountains. The little stream brings just enough moisture to this dry area to support the trees and other plants.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Meadow and Autumn Trees

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Meadow and Autumn Trees
“Meadow and Autumn Trees” — Autumn trees and haze glowing in sunlight, Yosemite Valley.

Smoky conditions, a bit to my surprise, produced some really lovely light o this autumn day. I arrived in The Valley on a fall morning to find that managed fires were filling the air with smoke. After driving four hours to get there, starting way before sunrise, I cannot say that I was happy to arrive to this! However, after a moment I remembered that smoke has the potential to produce some lovely effects. I headed toward this meadow, attracted by its large black oak trees and the potential for backlight.

The smoke thinned a bit, but there was just enough left in the air to glow when the sun hit it, including the beam of light in this photograph that came through a gap in the upper canyon walls of Yosemite Valley. With that haze and the backlight the trees really glowed.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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