Category Archives: Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Color, Bishop Canyon

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Aspen Color, Bishop Canyon
“Aspen Color, Bishop Canyon” — A group of aspen trees in peak autumn color, Eastern Sierra Nevada.

All over the Sierra there are little bits of the landscape with which I have somehow developed a long term relationship — places I return to year after year. They are all different. There’s a particular boulder along the trail into Lyell Canyon, a small grove of aspens in the June Lake area, a granite slab in Tuolumne Meadows, a camp spot in the Yosemite high country, this little group of aspens — and, of course, many more. How each of them came to have these connections for me is a bit hard to explain, though some do have particular stories.

Perhaps these trees got my attention because they stand against an interesting background, but also because they seem like they should be an easily photographed subject — yet I have found them tricky to photograph over the years. Sometimes the color isn’t quite right, or else I arrive after too many leaves have fallen. But I inevitably walk the little use trail past them and make a few photographs every fall.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Bench and Mountains

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Bench and Mountains
“Bench and Mountains” — Morning light on a bench near the base of the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada.

Most often as we watch the first sunlight arrive on the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada we are either somewhere out to the east, perhaps in Owens Valley, or actually up in one one of the valleys that cut into this side of the range. There are a few places that can offer a little different view, locations that are east of the escarpment but high enough to view the east side almost straight on from close distances.

I made this photograph from one of those locations, a long ridge that runs roughly parallel to the Sierra crest. The terrain here switches from high desert sage country to large groves of small aspens and then becomes more alpine. (You can see some of those small trees in the foreground here.) I made the photograph shortly after sunrise, when the low sun angle still cast. large shadows across the lower slopes of eastern escarpment.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Path

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Autumn Path
“Autumn Path” — A trail, covered by fallen leaves, winds through autumn forest, Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite Valley can be uncomfortably crowded, but there are ways to find quiet and tranquility. One is to avoid summer, with its heat and oppressive crowds — all three of the other seasons are more interesting, and less busy. Or get away from the prime iconic sights and sites. Often it takes little more than a few minutes of walking to find yourself in a place with a tiny fraction of the number of people you see in the crowded places.

I have a few favorite such places, typically along quieter trails in less busy parts of the Valley. This one tracks along a peaceful section of the Merced River, and for a week or two in autumn it is filled with subtle autumn colors and the ground is covered with fallen leaves. Yes, there is a trail in this photograph, but you may have to look closely to spot it under all of those leaves!

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Evening Aspens

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Evening Aspens
“Evening Aspens” — Groves of autumn aspen trees in the shadow of Sierra Nevada peaks.

I confess to often looking for the most intensely colorful aspen groves and visiting them when the light most enhances that intensity. Often this means positioning the trees between me and the sun, as back-light can make the leaves glow with unbelievable intensity. But that is obviously not the only way to photograph beautiful fall color, and something more subtle gets my attention, too. In fact, I love photographing these trees in the shade, where the colors may be a bit less intense, but where soft light fills the shadows and reveals details.

I began photographing in this area in the late afternoon when the sun was, in fact, back-lighting the trees. But in this particular location the sun drops behind higher peaks well before sunset, and shadows fall across the landscape. So I continued photographing as the light softened and eventually began to fade.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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