Category Archives: Photographs: Northern California

Photographs from Northern California

Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Sunset Tree, Granite Cliff

March 1, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A solitary tree caught in a beam of sunset light beneath El Capitan

As a friend recently wrote, lots of photography stories begin with a recounting of how bad the light was and end with an unexpected miracle of light. I’m not sure that this event qualifies as a miracle, but it certainly was unexpected. After a day of photographing in Yosemite Valley I was more or less ready to take a break and clouds were closing in, so I decided I might as well head to Tunnel View and just take a look. I had no plan to photograph. I arrived and parked, got out of my vehicle, and walked to the overlook unburdened by any photographic equipment at all. Clouds were thickening above the Valley and it looked like a predicted weather front was probably approaching from the west, meaning that more clouds would be blocking the light from the west. I decided to go back to my car to get my smart phone so that I could walk back and make a “Hi, I’m here!” photo to send to my family.

As I returned, I saw a beam of light start to illuminate the opposite valley wall to the west-northwest, and I quickly figured out that it was gradually angling toward the base of El Capitan. There are no guarantees of how such an event will unfold, but it is better to be prepared and end up disappointed than to not be ready and miss photographing something glorious. So I dashed back to the car again, grabbed camera gear, rushed back, and set up. By now the narrow beam of light was traversing the valley wall almost all the way to the base of El Capitan, and for a brief moment it caught this solitary tree in its spotlight as another band of golden hour light washed across the upper face and lit the edge of the monolith.

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: Northern California

Water Plants, Reflections

December 8, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Water plants reflected in the surface of a wetland pond

Subjects like these are almost easy to find and almost irresistible to photograph when I’m out chasing wild geese in the California Central Valley wetlands. While the birds are the main subject, or so I tell myself, there is much else to look at — the trees and grasses, the immense sky, the effects of fog and haze, and the patterns and reflections on the surface of the wetland ponds.

This was a very foggy morning, somewhat to my surprise. I always check the weather conditions before heading out here, usually in the hope that there will be at least some fog. But this time there were no indications that it would be anything but sunny and clear, at least not until my pre-departure final weather check, where I found one report of ground fog at a nearby airport. And, sure enough, once I got within a half hour of my destination the fog began to develop, and after my arrival in continued to build. So much of my morning was spent photographing in Central Valley tule fog.

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: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Sandhill Cranes, Island, Fog

December 7, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A group of sandhill cranes stands on a small wetland island on a foggy morning

I love the Central Valley tule fog during this part of the year — perhaps not for driving, but when it comes to creating moody and interesting atmosphere, the fog produces. In fact, quite often I’ll check the weather forecast before heading that way during gate late-fall through early spring period, and if the weather looks too nice I won’t go. But if the weather calls for fog, I’m on my way! This visit started out to be an exception to that rule, since the weather forecast did not mention fog at all. But when I checked the current conditions before departing there was an indication that some fog had developed in a few areas.

My drive, 100 miles done entirely in pre-dawn darkness, did not suggest fog… until I left the final town before arriving at my slightly remote location. I immediately encountered a surprise fog bank, and it only got thicker as I turned off the main highway onto narrow country roads. I arrived at my destination in freezing temperatures and light fog which continued to thicken for the next hour. These lesser sandhill cranes were hanging out in a spot where I can reliably find them early in the morning, though they were a pretty good distance off across a network of wetland ponds. This group was assembled on a small island, and they must have been comfortable there, as they were the last group to finally take to the air and fly off.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Arrival of Geese, Dusk

December 6, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Geese land in a wetland pond at dusk

In an earlier post I alluded to my occasional good fortune in being the recipient of unanticipated events while out photographing, in this case the unexpected arrival of a dusk flock of geese right in front of the spot where I was standing and quietly watching the dusk light fade, thinking that I had finished my photography for the day. In that last moment, a flock took to the air a good distance away across wetland ponds, expanded the circle of its flight, and without warning began to land in the pond next to my position.

The relationships between luck and skill and preparation are complex, but there is no denying that luck plays a role in photographing the natural world. While I could tell that the sky was becoming beautiful, and while I am prepared to make technical and esthetic decision about how to photograph things as they happen, the fact that this flock took off in the dusk light and then landed perhaps fifty feet from my position is certainly nothing for which I can take credit. It does pay to be prepared, to have done this enough times to have a good chance of making the right decisions quickly when the opportunity arrives and, perhaps most of all, to be out there in the field as much as possible. One moment like this one makes it worthwhile.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Category Archives: Photographs: Northern California

Sunset Tree, Granite Cliff

Water Plants, Reflections

Arrival of Geese, Dusk

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.