Category Archives: Photographs: Nature

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Three Cranes, Blue Sky

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Three Cranes, Blue Sky
Three sandhill cranes in flight against blue sky

Three Cranes, Blue Sky. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Three sandhill cranes in flight against blue sky.

What I regard as “bird season,”the time of year when I start to focus on photographing migratory birds, began this year in early November. I had several prints in the Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival, so I took the opportunity to head that direction and look for birds to photograph during the weekend of the event.

On my way to drop of prints very early on the first morning of the festival I headed out early enough to reserve time for a visit to an area west of Lodi where these birds are fairly easy to find. Pulling in from a long drive in the dark, opening the car door, and hearing the bedlam of thousands of birds is always a magical moment for me, and this one was more special as it was the first of the year. I made a few photographs in this area at dawn and then moved off on a rural road that I know, looking for more cranes. Eventually I found them, in a place where they were following a flight path that took them across the roadway, so I found a spot where the early morning light would catch them as they 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.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: People In Landscape, Photographs: Photographers, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Photographer Franka M. Gabler, John Muir Wilderness

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Photographer Franka M. Gabler, John Muir Wilderness
Photographer Franka M. Gabler at work in the John Muir Wilderness

Photographer Franka M. Gabler, John Muir Wilderness. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographer Franka M. Gabler at work in the John Muir Wilderness.

A band of photographers, informally referred to by some as the “First Light Group,” has been photographing in the Sierra Nevada backcountry for nearly two decades as a group — and much longer as individuals. A core group has been there since the beginning, a few no longer join us (though they are present on every trip in our conversations), and others have joined the group subsequent to the first trip. I’m in the latter group, having gone along for about a decade. A remarkable collection of photographic work has come from the group over the years, and there is a story about this endeavor that warrants being told more widely.

At times the group has been sponsored by various entities. At one time the Yosemite Conservancy was a major supporter. On several occasions that group has been self-supporting. This past summer we were generously supported by Yosemite Renaissance. Our collaboration with them had several goals. They, of course, want to support artists creating work related to Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada — they were interested in learning about the logistics of putting artists in the backcountry for periods long enough to do significant work, something that the First Light folks know a lot about. They wanted to share in the experience of producing artistic work this way. As part of the latter goal several artists accompanied us this year, including photographer Franka M. Gabler, who is seen at work in this photograph.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Fractured Slabs, Reflection

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Fractured Slabs, Reflection
The patterns of fractured Sierra Nevada slabs reflected in the quiet surface of an alpine lake

Fractured Slabs, Reflection. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The patterns of fractured Sierra Nevada slabs reflected in the quiet surface of an alpine lake.

This lake was a productive target for all of us in a group of photographers and artists who base-camped for a week at 11,000′ in the Eastern Sierra last summer. Our camp was perhaps 15 minutes away from this beautiful lake set in a huge bowl at the base of a tall peak that dominated the view from almost everywhere in the area. In places near its outlet there were trees, rocks were everywhere, and the side at the base of the cliff was covered with large talus.

We all spent considerable time there. I know that I visited at least three times. On my first visit I did little more than get a sense of the prospects at the lake since the light wasn’t ideal at that time and there was a bit more wind than I wanted. On a second visit I went at just about the right time, but the many subjects distracted me and I missed the light for some that I had come for. I think it was on the third visit (or was it the fourth?) when I finally managed to get to this bit of textured slabs at the water’s edge before the bright morning light washed out the scene and before the day’s winds broke the smooth surface of the water.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Lake and Reflected Peaks

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Lake and Reflected Peaks
Rugged peaks reflected in the surface of a quiet subalpine Sierra Nevada lake

Lake and Reflected Peaks. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Rugged peaks reflected in the surface of a quiet subalpine Sierra Nevada lake.

Many of my landscape photographs, at least those made in clear and sunny conditions, come from rather early in the morning or quite late in the day. As we know, the light is often very lovely at those times — it can be warm-toned, reflected light may fill shadows. But it is most certainly possible to photograph at almost any hour of the day, and that can broaden the photographic opportunities quite a bit.

While it was still somewhat early when I made this photograph, it was most certainly long past sunrise. The warm light had been replaced by the colder, bluer light of daytime. The geography of this location helped a bit — a very tall ridge stood to our east, and it blocked the direct sunlight until relatively late in the morning. After finishing my sunrise photography I ended up strolling slowly along the shoreline of this small lake, paying attention to the small inlets and peninsulas and to the ways that the smooth water reflected the surrounding peaks.

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.

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