Category Archives: Photographs: Fall Color

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

Aspens In The Shadows

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Aspens In The Shadows
“Aspens In The Shadows” — Extensive autumn aspen groves in evening shadows, Eastern Sierra Nevada.

If you have been following along this fall, by now this general area may start to look familiar to you. I was fortunate to be there when the colors were at their peak — that brief interval when almost all of the leaves have turned but before too many of them fall. Finding trees in this condition is partly a matter of local knowledge, but it is also a matter of luck — autumn storms and wind can quickly take down a lot of leaves when they are at this stage, and seeing an intense display like this requires a few prior days of calm conditions.

I know that the typical inclination is to photograph these trees in daylight. After all, the most intense colors appear when the sun is behind the groves, creating a glowing backlight on the leaves. But the color can also be quite intense in softer light, such as this light in the early evening.

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, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Forest

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Autumn Forest
“Autumn Forest” — Autumn colors begin to appear in a Yosemite Valley forest.

This forest scene comes is on a little-used trail along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. It is a good distance from the major attractions that draw crowds, so it tends to be rather quiet. (Though you can hear the sounds of traffic passing nearby.) I spent some time here on an autumn day when the deciduous trees were turning subtle colors and beginning to drop their leaves.

Dense forest scenes like this one are often a challenge. There’s so much interesting stuff in them, but it can be difficult finding a composition among all of the details. One feature of these scenes is that they don’t immediately reveal all of their details, and it takes a bit of time to understand what you are seeing.

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

Drifting Clouds, Eastern Escarpment

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Drifting Clouds, Eastern Escarpment
“Drifting Clouds, Eastern Escarpment” — Clouds drift across the rugged slopes of the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada.

If my memory is correct, I made this photograph as I started my long drive back to the Bay Area from the Eastern Sierra. My typical final day over there starts early with some photography at “one last spot,” after which I pack up and get on the road. But almost invariably I spot some distraction during the drive and end up pulling out the photography equipment along the way.

There is a lot of seasonal autumn stuff in this photograph if you know what to look for. Some is obvious, like the golden-brown grasses and high desert plants in the foreground. Some is a bit harder to spot, including the aspen groves on the lower slopes where the high desert meets the first conifers. Those soft, drifting clouds are another hint – they can happen at any time, but at this time of day they are much less common in the summer. Finally, way up on the high ridge there is a dusting of snow from an autumn storm.

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.

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

Tall Black Oaks, Autumn

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Tall Black Oaks, Autumn
“Tall Black Oaks, Autumn” — Tall black oak trees in autumn colors in Yosemite Valley.

I think I photographed these oak trees at just about the peak of their fall color, and I also managed to show up when the light was just right. Autumn oak leaves tend more toward brown than golden, but in the right kind of backlight they can glow and even produce a rich golden color. The light here was quite soft, which is also beneficial, but with cloud-softened light on the trees in the middle of the frame.

The meadows of Yosemite Valley are marvelous places, even if these days our access to them is more restricted than it once was. In winter they are quiet and often filled with morning ground fog. In the spring new growth bursts forth and they are very green places. In summer the grasses turn that “California gold” color as everything dries out. And for a short time in autumn the golden colors extend up into the tree tops.

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.