Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Fog, Tree, Marsh, Morning Sky

April 5, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Winter morning fog in bright morning light above a San Joaquin Valley marsh

I made this photograph, rendered here as a high key black and white image, in a wetland area of California’s San Joaquin Valley. Photography began on this morning before dawn, in very foggy conditions. Here, nearly two hours later, we had worked our way around to a different location where shallow ponds stretched into the distance, reflecting trees in the thinning fog that was brightly lit by the morning sun, and with high clouds above.

At the time when I looked across this water I was struck by how little of substance there was in the scene. Above was misty and faintly blue sky with thin clouds. Below there was water, but the water served primary to reflect that same sky. The only solid material in the scene is the faint trees, a few birds, some bits of grass, and a couple of thin strips of levee. Everything else is sky or fog or reflection of sky and fog. The photograph is one of a series that I have tucked away, yet to work on at the appropriate time, and in need of further thought: Do I work with the high key luminosity of the scene, or do I work with the color version in which everything is shades of blue?

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Commentary

Fujifilm Lens and Body Deals Ending

April 4, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Special pricing on Fujifilm X-series lenses and camera bodies ends on April 5. (Note that B&H hours can be very limited on Saturdays—best to order early!) With this offer you can save up to $250 on Fuji lenses and up to $200 on some Fujifilm bodies. (All of the products eligible for the pricing are at this link.) As always, follow the link to check for full details and most accurate information.

Lens deals include:

35mm f/1.4 – $150 off. I use this lens and like it a great deal. It is a “normal” focal length with an angle-of-view equivalent of just slightly over 50mm, and it produces excellent image quality. This is the lens that I use the most on my Fujifilm X-E1.
27mm f/2.8 – $250 off. At only $199 this is a real bargain! This very small “pancake lens” has a focal length that is ideal for prime-only street photography.
55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 zoom. I use this lens when I need a longer focal lengths on my X-E1, and it is a fine performer. 200mm is the angle-of-view equivalent to a 300mm lens on full frame, and image-stabilization makes the lens very usable.
23mm f1.4 – $150 off. I do not own this lens, but it has gotten excellent reviews. It provides a 35mm angle-of-view equivalent with a large maximum aperture.
14mm f/2.8 – $200 off. I use this lens when I need wide angle coverage. It is not only wide, but it also focuses quickly and provides great image quality. It also has a special design for switching between manual and automatic operation.
60mm f/2.4 macro – $250 off. I use this lens both as a longer 90mm angle-of-view equivalent prime and for close-up subjects.
18mm f/2 – $200 off. This is another excellent lens in a very small form factor.

Commentary

North Tower, Dawn Fog

April 4, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

There are many associations with this location and scenes like this, at least for me. I am fascinated by the shapes, colors, and textures of this bridge, a structure that we take for granted here in the Bay Area. The location from which I photographed is also familiar and easily taken for granted, yet it is a spectacular place, sitting high above the bridge, the Golden Gate itself, the Pacific Ocean, and the San Francisco Bay spreading inland to the west. At this early morning hour, while the sound of traffic approaching the bridge is faintly audible far below, it is otherwise nearly silent. It is also typically cool and damp, most often with at least some fog around—occasionally so much that the view is completely blocked. The City is visible across the Bay, seeming like it is coming back to life at this early hour, with cars heading in to work and lights from the fading night still turned on.

The dawn light on this morning was, as usual, not exacty like any previous morning that I’ve seen here. When I left home well before dawn I thought that it might be clear over the entrance to the Bay, but as I got closer I encountered fog on the San Francisco side. But as I crossed the bridge, and a bit to my surprise, it was clear over the water—the fog seemed to be mostly over the south shore. There were high, thin clouds above the fog and the light haze. At first it looked like all of this cloudiness would kill any morning color, and that impression was strengthened as the sun came up behind the clouds to the east with only the subtlest color. But a bit later, some minutes after actual dawn, the rising sun’s colorful light began to clear that eastern fog and slant across the top of the thinning fog bank to my south.

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Redwood Forest, Muir Woods

April 3, 2014 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A tall, thin bay tree reaches for the light in front of a row of coast redwood trees, Muir Woods National Monument

This cathedral of redwood trees still brings me to a stop every time I walk up the main valley at Muir Woods National Monument. Typically I arrive very early in the morning, often before the park opens, when I can have the trail almost to myself. (I’m happy to share “my” park with the small number of other early morning visitors, who are usually very quiet.) This row of big trees is in a spot near where several trails meet up, and the light can range from deep shade to filtered sun.

The light is the tricky thing when photographing here. People are often surprised by just how little light may make it down through the canopy of the redwood forest. On this morning there was a layer of high clouds that muted the light, with only occasional breaks allowing more direct light. As a result, this was a 13 second exposure! The idea here was to find a “wall of trees” composition, with some depth from additional trees perhaps visible in the gaps among the main foreground group. I liked the visual dissonance of the single slender bay tree trunk curving across the scene to the left.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Fog, Tree, Marsh, Morning Sky

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Fujifilm Lens and Body Deals Ending

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North Tower, Dawn Fog

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Redwood Forest, Muir Woods

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

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