Category Archives: Photographs: Photographers

Photographs: People, Photographs: Photographers

Photographer Charles Cramer

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Photographer Charles Cramer
Photographer Charles Cramer setting up a display for a reception to follow an August 16, 2015 concert

Photographer Charles Cramer. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographer Charles Cramer setting up a display for a reception to follow an August 16, 2015 concert.

This photograph of Charles Cramer is perhaps a bit unusual in several ways. I made it while Charlie was setting up (or taking down?) a display of a number of his photographs at a concert he gave in the South Bay Area. (Many of you reading this are likely to be aware of his photography, but perhaps not everyone knows that he is also an accomplished pianist and organist… and even a choir director!) The pose is perhaps not typical for a photograph of a “landscape photographer,” either as he is a) indoors and b) setting up a light stand! (The purpose of the stand is to illuminate prints for display in this case.)

We count ourselves lucky to know Charlie and to have known him for some time. (He played at our wedding, believe it or not.) He has also graciously shared his photographic knowledge with us in a number of ways. I often tell the story of how I finally got up to speed on my conversion to digital photography. I had been using digital cameras for a while, and I had purchased an early digital printer, but the results were just not what I hoped for and I was getting frustrated. I contacted Charlie to ask for some advice — should I take a class? sign up for a workshop? read a book? something else? He replied and basically said, “Come over and bring a few files.” I did, and in the several hours he spent with me on these files I learned (as I often say) “90% of what I needed to know about digital post-processing and printing” — and for that I am forever grateful!

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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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.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Photographers, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Landscape With Landscape Photographer

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Landscape With Landscape Photographer
Photographer Scot Miller at work between Sierra Nevada peaks and a meadow full of late-season lupine flowers.

Landscape With Landscape Photographer. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographer Scot Miller at work between Sierra Nevada peaks and a meadow full of late-season lupine flowers.

Mainly this was to be a photograph of a beautiful patch of blooming lupines and their alpine setting. Sierra Nevada aficionados may be surprised to hear that I made this photograph on the first day of September and at about 11,000′ of elevation. By that date the summer wildflower bloom is mostly in typical years. But this year was not typical — last winter and spring brought much more precipitation to the range than usual, and that late start to the warm season combined with the abundant moisture kept the plants going late in the season. And these weren’t the only flowers we saw. Generally meadows were still fairly green and there were wildflowers everywhere, including several large patches of beautiful lupines in this area.

As I set up and composed this photograph I noticed that my friend Scot Miller was walking into the scene. Even though we often work quite independently in the field, we do sometimes end up in one another’s frame. In this case I decided to make a photograph that included Scot — look closely and you’ll spot him — as he set up to photograph the area where I was crouched down among the flowers.

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.

Photographs: People, Photographs: People In Landscape, Photographs: Photographers

Charles Cramer In The Field

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Charles Cramer In The Field
“Charles Cramer In The Field” — Photographer Charles Cramer at work in the Eastern Sierra Nevada backcountry

I made this photograph of friend and photographer Charles “Charlie” Cramer at work in the John Muir Wilderness this past summer during our (more or less) annual group foray into the backcountry for a week or so of photography. I think that several of us found ourselves in more or less this spot… because backlight is wonderful and the sun was just clearing the ridge on the other side of this small lake.

For those who may not know about such things, a word or two about some elements of the photograph. The little rectangular object in his hands is a so-called “framing card” or “framing tool” — a very useful thing to have when you are looking for compositions, since it literally puts a frame around what you are looking at. (There are several jokes about these objects. For example, you really need to carry two of them — the landscape- and portrait-mode versions. And why does Charlie carry larger versions than I use? His are appropriately sized for medium format photography, while mine are for full frame cameras.) And what’s with Charlie standing in the bright sun without a hat! “Welllll…” (as he might say)… the hat was in use just a moment earlier as a sunshade to block stray light from the front of the lens. All joking aside, one wonderful side benefit of going into the field with other photographers is that we often manage to photograph one another!

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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