Category Archives: Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

River Bank Foliage

November 9, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Thick foliage along the banks of the Merced River, Yosemite Valley

One of the reasons that times like autumn are so interesting is that they bring transitional conditions. Here I found a combination of trees still bearing thick green foliage, others turning autumn golden, and still others already having lost many of their leaves. These trees grow along the band between an open meadow and the Merced River, in and area where it meanders somewhat lazily through the Valley.

This area is full of potential subjects, and even though I’ve stopped and photographed here many times I almost always find something new. This time one subject was this dense little grove of trees, with dark trunks standing out against the complex patterns of many leaves. The light came through high clouds, softening its effect but still producing directional light. A moment later and across the meadow I photographed straight into afternoon light as clouds swirled around the tall cliffs to the west.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Rain, Yosemite Valley

November 8, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Autumn rain mutes the colors and details of Yosemite Valley and Bridal Veil Fall

Look! An icon! Yes, I do photograph them from time to time. I made this photograph at a pretty well-known and popular location. (A friend was once asked the best way to photograph this spot. His answer was, “Don’t.”) If you are in Yosemite Valley, and especially if you are traveling between the Valley and other locations, as I was during this visit, you are pretty much guaranteed to pass by here. I virtually always take a look. Sometimes I don’t stop. Sometimes I stop and leave the camera in the car and just wander a bit. Sometimes I spot friends there and I stop to talk. Occasionally something special happens — a more frequent occurrence this time of year — and I stop and make some photographs!

Coming down the hill on Highway 41 I had stopped above the tunnel and another turnout with a great view up the Valley, and from there I had seen some interesting fog and clouds beginning to assemble. So I headed on down through the tunnel and decided to stop and look around. At first I almost wasn’t going to photograph, but I figured I was there so what the heck! As I assembled my gear it began to rain lightly and the beautiful veil of the rain began to make the atmosphere slightly opaque and soften the scene.

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

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

Forest and Ferns

November 6, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A bed of ferns leads to conifer trees, big leaf maples, and the cliffs of Yosemite Valley

The autumn ferns of the Sierra have fascinated me for some time, and I think of them as among the most interesting of the harbingers of fall. I recall years ago driving across the Sierra to get to the east side in October and finding the transformation of the forest floor that they bring to be fascinating, especially in the evening when they seem to almost glow among the dark trunks of trees. Autumn color in the Sierra is most certainly not just about aspens!

I photographed this bed of ferns going dormant in a small meadow in Yosemite Valley. I stopped at a popular place, but then crossed the road to walk away from that spot and spend some time wandering meadows and forest of conifers and oaks. In this slight clearing at the end of the conifers there was a remarkably lush growth of ferns around this fallen tree, with more trees and more autumn color beyond.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Trees and Clouds, Yosemite

November 5, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The clouds of a dissipating storm drift among trees and ridges high on the walls of Yosemite Valley in the early evening

When it comes to “grand landscape” (and sometimes even intimate landscapes) my favorite conditions in Yosemite Valley may be those that often come after a storm, and clouds begin to flow across the upper Valley walls, breaking up and floating in and out of crevices, picking up interesting light and alternately hiding and revealing features including rocky prominences and trees. Once in a while I’m especially lucky and this clearing occurs at the very end of the day, as the warm light of evening is coming on.

I was just that lucky near the end of October, on a day that began in significant rain, transitioned to fog and clouds, and then cleared in the early evening. I found a spot with a clear view of one promising section of the high walls rising above the Valley, put on a long lens, and simply watched the show unfold. At times my subjects were almost entirely hidden by clouds, then a details such as trees or a bit of cliff would momentarily appear. As the evening wore on the clouds continued to thin and the light began to take on the colors of evening.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Category Archives: Photographs: Sierra Nevada

River Bank Foliage

Autumn Rain, Yosemite Valley

Forest and Ferns

Trees and Clouds, Yosemite

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