Category Archives: Photographs: Structures and Objects

Photographs: Still Life, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Lattice Fence

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Lattice Fence
Detail view of lattice fence.

Lattice Fence. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Detail view of lattice fence.

Believe it or not, I have been trying to photograph this bit of fence of several years. It isn’t that it has been a major goal for me, but every time we visit this place I end up trying to make a picture of it. It is one of those subjects that seems like it should be simple to photograph, but then it turns out to be anything but. Part of the issue is that the symmetry that attracts me to its form creates some compositional issues.

I’m more pleased with the version I came up with on this visit. I bypassed some color challenges (the colors aren’t exactly striking) by going with a monochromatic rendition. Some thin clouds softened the light — although the subject is under trees, often there is either a bit of direct light on it or, worse, on the stuff in the background. And this time that background was in soft, deep shade.

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: Structures and Objects

Blue Hyacinth

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Blue Hyacinth
Macro photography of blue hyacinth flowers.

Blue Hyacinth. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Macro photography of blue hyacinth flowers.

While I like photographing flowers, I’m no expert on the plant world or flowers. In fact, I have a heck of a time keeping their names straight! It has always been this way. It has always been the case that I could recognize the appearance of a wildflower, down to the specific spot where I might find it, the week when it would typically bloom, and what else might grow nearby… yet be unable to recall its name. These hyacinth flowers intrigue me… but I didn’t know what they were called!

I did, however, recognize that they are not easy to photograph. Their shape creates challenges regarding depth of field, especially when I try to photograph individual blossoms. If finally occurred to me that, rather than trying to photograph separate flowers, I could photograph from a position directly a above the plant and capture the remarkable patterns produced by the mass of flowers radiating out from the central stem.

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.

Photographs: Structures and Objects

Nested Orange Bowls

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Nested Orange Bowls
Two nested orange ceramic bowls.

Nested Orange Bowls. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Two nested orange ceramic bowls.

This is actually a “spring” season photograph — I’ll explain. Recently we took advantage of a break in the California storms to visit a large garden. It comes alive this time of year, and right about now various colorful bulbs are blooming. I’ll share some of those photographs soon, too. The bowls are actually large garden pots for plants that I spotted as we walked though a small shop on the way into the garden.

When Im visually “on” I start to see things like this everywhere. This subject appeals to my natural interest in forms, colors, and textures — something that I think underlies a lot of my photography, even when the apparent subject is the landscape, wildlife, or city subjects.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Still Life, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Kitchen Tools #1

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Kitchen Tools #1
Close up photograph of kitchen implements.

Kitchen Tools #1. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Close up photograph of kitchen implements.

Indeed, I made more than one photograph in the kitchen this week. Will this be a new stylistic direction in my photography? Stay tuned and find out! Like yesterday’s photograph, this subject was on the kitchen counter. I needed something to test out a new camera with a macro lenses, no tiny bugs were handy, so here we are.

As I pondered these two kitchen photographs it stuck me that the patterns, especially with all of the soft blur in the images, reminded me of some close-up photograph s I have made of grasses and similar plants.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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