Category Archives: Photographs: Sierra Nevada

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

Rock, Flowing Water

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Rock, Flowing Water
A Sierra stream flows around a rock, reflecting trees and sky.

Rock, Flowing Water. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A Sierra stream flows around a rock, reflecting trees and sky.

You might think that when visiting a place with the spectacular scenic views found in Yosemite that I might find something a bit more… profound to photograph. Well, I do photograph those things, too. But these days I’m often more interested in looking for less-obvious things that perhaps have not ever been photographed. Like some rock sitting in an anonymous stream. But such rocks and such streams are as much a part of the experience of this place as the waterfalls, cliffs, and alpine peaks.

For years I had passed by a particular little bit of creek, glimpsed quickly as I passed by on my way to other places. On this day I finally stopped and took the time to poke around a bit here, and I made a few photographs of shallow water flowing over granite slabs. Here the water passes around a large rock that somehow ended up in the middle of the stream, and the moving surface of the creek reflects the surrounding forest, mountains, and the sky.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Burned Forest

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Burned Forest
A Yosemite National Park forest beginning its post-wildfire recovery..

Burned Forest. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A Yosemite National Park forest beginning its post-wildfire recovery..

This photograph comes from Yosemite National Park, and not far from the current wildfire in the Mariposa Grove area. There are “good fires” and “bad fires” — the former tend to burn loose stuff on the forest floor along with some small trees and other plants, while the later burn hot and climb into the crowns of the trees and often killing them. Most of the trees in a healthy forest will survive the good fires, but increasingly the forests are now faced with bad fires that cause tremendous destruction. A quick scan around this photograph reveals some dead young trees but also some remaining green branches that likely mark a tree that is going to survive.

Photographing wildfire sites has long been a challenge for me. Many years ago I simply regarded wildfires as evil, but today my view is more nuanced, and I accept that some fire occurs in healthy forests and, in fact, is necessary and good. The challenge photographically has been to see these scenes as being subjects for beautiful photography rather than just as destruction.

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Evening, Alpine Lake and Peaks

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Evening, Alpine Lake and Peaks
The view from an alpine wilderness lake overlooks high peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada.

Evening, Alpine Lake and Peaks. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

The view from an alpine wilderness lake overlooks high peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada.

Experiencing the high country brings all sorts of rewards — the thrill of high peaks, the beauty of a summer meadow, the (mostly) joy of traversing forests and crossing creeks, and much more. Many of these are immediately accessible, and you can enjoy them just by getting out of your car and walking a little. Some take a bit longer, perhaps requiring an overnight stay away from roads. Still others only come after a relatively long time on the trail — long enough to almost forget that there was another life before you started walking.

Some of these experiences are, at least for me, both remarkable and a bit difficult to put into words. This evening just west of the Southern Sierra crest was one of those times. I was part of a small group of friends who had grown comfortable backpacking together over the years. We were nine days out on a trans-Sierra trip, and we had fully settled into the routines of the trail. In the morning we would get up very early and ascend the highest peak in the range before making the 7000′ descent to the trailhead and the “real world.” But on this evening there was nothing more important to do than wander slowly around this lake and gaze at distant ridges as the day came to an end.

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Carson Peak, Grant Lake

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Carson Peak, Grant Lake
Misty Carson Peak catches the light in the distance beyond the low water of Grant Lake.

Carson Peak, Grant Lake. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Misty Carson Peak catches the light in the distance beyond the low water of Grant Lake.

This photograph comes from an early June visit to the east side of the Sierra Nevada a few years ago. The trip began with a quick pass through Yosemite Valley, where I photographed late dogwood blossoms and other flowers before heading over the crest on Tioga Pass Road for a few days of photography on the other side of the range. On an early trip like this I tend to hit some of the favorites first and then branch out to new locations. This spot is one of those familiar favorites.

As you have probably noticed, the low water in the foreground is a big hint that Grant Lake is there for water management, and that it is not a natural lake. A dark ridge looms beyond the upper end of the lake, framing the familiar view of Carson Peak. It was an afternoon and evening of clouds and some precipitation near the crest, and as the late light hits this peak some remnants of the moisture soften its contours.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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