Category Archives: Photographs: Nature

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Lake, Storm, and Rainbow

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Alpine Lake, Storm, and Rainbow
A trail crosses a rise beyond an alpine lake as rain begins and a rainbow appears against stormy skies, Kings Canyon National Park.

Alpine Lake, Storm, and Rainbow. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A trail crosses a rise beyond an alpine lake as rain begins and a rainbow appears against stormy skies, Kings Canyon National Park.

This photograph comes from a wonderful trip into the Kings Canyon backcountry seven summers ago. A group of five photographers who have been doing such things for almost twenty years (I’ve been going along for a decade) packed in to a remote location at 12,000′ and set up a basecamp. We spent a week there photographing the heck out of the nearby landscape of granite, lakes, and peaks — and enjoying the camaraderie that comes from working together in the wilderness.

By the time I made this photograph I had settled thoroughly into the routines of living and photographing in such a place. I’ve often photographed while hiking through the Sierra, but working from a base-camp gives me time to explore more carefully, to get to know the character of a place, and to experience it in a variety of conditions. Although it was the tail-end of a drought season, we had rain from time to time, and on this afternoon I photographed an area full of lakes as the afternoon showers arrived.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Water Plants

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Water Plants
Water plants reflected on the surface of a wetland pond.

Water Plants. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Water plants reflected on the surface of a wetland pond.

In another post that I queued up recently I mentioned some aspects of the experience of photographing migratory birds, pointing out that a lot of “down time” is part of the experience — times when there isn’t a lot of action going on. The birds may be static — or missing! — and one waits. In that other post I point out that these slow times are certainly not a bad thing! The quiet stillness can grow on you eventually, and there are other things to see and photograph, too.

I’m not at all a “pure bird photographer.” When I’m in the field photographing this subject I spend a good portion of my time thinking as a landscape photographer. Even when the primary subject is a bird or birds, I often consider how that bird is part of the landscape. But I also frequently switch gears entirely and focus on the space in which the birds live… and I photograph landscapes. On this occasion I was working a wetland area and the reflections of plants in the water caught my attention.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Central Valley Coyote

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Central Valley Coyote
A coyote pauses during an early evening hunt in California’s Central Valley.

Central Valley Coyote. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A coyote pauses during an early evening hunt in California’s Central Valley.

We know that coyotes are about in the locations where we photograph migratory birds in the autumn and winter. We often hear their cries in the evening, and occasionally we’ll catch sight of them in the distance as they trot across the grassland toward a tasty-looking flock of birds, no doubt encountering equally tasting small mammals along the way. However, seeing one this close in the daytime is a bit less typical.

It was the last hour before sunset, as you might guess from the warm and low-angle light, when this specimen appeared not far away from my position. It was most certainly aware of my presence, but it didn’t seem overly concerned as it passed, pausing occasionally to look around and even cast a glance in our direction.

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: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: San Francisco

Rat Rock, Winter Morning

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Rat Rock, Winter Morning
Rat Rock and morning clouds reflected in San Pablo Bay.

Rat Rock, Winter Morning. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Rat Rock and morning clouds reflected in San Pablo Bay.

Despite living in the San Francisco Bay Area for nearly my entire life, it wasn’t until perhaps a decade ago that I “discovered” this location along the shores of San Pablo Bay, the northern arm of the San Francisco Bay. I had joined up with a group of (too many) photographers — one of those early Google Plus crowds — to photograph in various places north of the Golden Gate, and eventually we ended up here. I had seen photographs of this small island before, but I did not know its location. And, yes, it really is called “Rat Rock.”

I made this photograph on a return visit a few years later, this time by myself. Considering all of the possible sky and weather conditions in this location, I was incredibly lucky to arrive for this lovely sky and relatively calm waters to reflect the clouds. Some years ago I created a version of a very similar photograph from the same day, but I recently reviewed the raw files and decided that I like this one a bit better now.

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.