Category Archives: Photographs: Northern California

Photographs from Northern California

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Fairy Bell Wildflowers (Disporum hookeri)

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Fairy Bell Wildflowers (Prosartes smithii)

Fairy Bell Wildflowers (Disporum hookeri). Muir Woods National Monument, California. April 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring Fairy Bells flowers among the plants on the forest floor at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

This plant grows on the forest floor beneath the Redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument and, no doubt, in many other similar places on the west coast. This is a rather subtle flower – its color is not that different from the color of its leaves, it grows in areas where the light tends to be somewhat dim, and the flowers hide beneath the spreading leaves. It isn’t a flower that I spot right away – unlike, say, trillium – and it is a bit tricky to photograph.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: Prosartes smithii, Disporum smithii, Fairy, Bells, flower, wild, wildflower, leaf, green, yellow, wihite, plant, foliage, nature, forest, floor, insect, bug, muir woods, national, monument, golden gate, recreation, area, park, marin, county, california, usa, stem, bud, bokeh, stock, Disporum hookeri

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Red Alder Leaves, Spring

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Red Alder Leaves, Spring

Red Alder Leaves, Spring. Muir Woods National Monument, California. April 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring red alder leaves branch out above the creek at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

More red alder leaves from Muir Woods National Monument. I’m fascinated by the delicate patterns of the branches of this tree – in fact I have photographed these very same branches (yes, the same tree) a couple of time previously.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: red, alder, leaf, leaves, branch, twig, green, spring, new, growth, delicate, bokeh, nature, tree, forest, grove, muir woods, national, monument, golden gate, recreation, area, marin county, california, usa, redwood, foliage, creek, stock, green

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Red Alder Leaves

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Red Alder Leaves

Red Alder Leaves. Muir Woods National Monument, California. April 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring Red Alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

I made another visit to Muir Woods National Monument this weekend – probably the fourth or fifth visit in the last month and a half or so. This is obviously quite a contrast with the Death Valley photos that I’ve been posting. (There are still a few more of those to come.) When I started visiting Muir Woods this past winter, my first visit coincided with the very first buds appearing on the red alder trees. Now, some weeks later, the new growth has largely filled in, though there are still some trees that seem to be just getting started.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: red, alder, leaf, leaves, twig, branch, tree, foliage, plant, nature, spine, new, spring, season, bokeh, muir woods, national, monument, park, golden gate, recreation, area, marin county, california, usa, redwood, forest, morning, diffused, light, travel, scenic, landscape, stock, green

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Sports

Winter Surfers, Northern California

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California Surfers, Winter
California Surfers, Winter

Winter Surfers, Northern California. Between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, California. January 12, 2008. © Copyright 2008 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two surfers near the edge of the winter surf in central California near San Francisco. Black and white.

As I write this description a half dozen years after making the photograph it is the day of another Mavericks surf competition, and I remember distinctly the day I made the photograph and the experience of making it. The location is somewhat typical of the California Coast Highway, along with the road alternates between ascending along the edges of high coastal mountains and dropping down to small beaches where creeks and rivers enter the sea. This beach is one of those latter locations, in this case one I frequently visit when I photograph along the coast south of San Francisco.

My favorite time of year along this coast is the winter, and for a diversity of reasons. Contrary to the expectations of non-Californians, summer is not the most beautiful time on the coast. In summer the coast is frequently socked in by fog, and the clear days are so clear that there may be no clouds – a lovely thought for all but perhaps the photographers, who often wants more “interesting” conditions. In the winter the ocean can become a powerful force, with winds whipping the tops of huge waves as storms near and far stir things up. While the summer coast can seem benign, the winter coast can present us with scenes of tremendous, awe-inspiring power. But it can also be quiet and moody as it was on this day. Yes, the surf was running high (which is why the Mavericks surf competition was going on a few miles north of this spot on the day I made the photograph), but winter clouds muted the colors, the sounds of birds and water were everywhere. These two surfers walked quietly along the beach, seeming a part of this beautiful scene. (Revised description written January 24, 2014)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.