Interior, St. Lorenz Church

“Interior, St. Lorenz Church” — The interior of the St. Lorenz Church, Nürnberg, Germany.

During our time in Germany in late 2024 we made a side trip to Nürnberg, Bavaria. This is the site of what I understand to be the most famous of the German Christmas markets. We wanted to visit since we were in Germany during the market season. The Nürnberg market(s) is(are) extensive. The huge main market is in the Hauptmarkt square, but the festivities spill over onto other streets in the city. But the markets aren’t all that is worth seeing in this city, and on this day we visited several historic churches.

Our first stop was the St. Lorenz church, an impressive medieval church. It was damaged in WWII but restored, so that you might not notice that anything has changed. It is a Lutheran church, but it feels quite similar to many European Catholic cathedrals, having the same immense scale, columns, vaulted ceilings, and natural light. I made this photograph to show the huge columns and the open feeling created by the light streaming through the many windows.


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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Winter Trees

“Winter Trees” — Morning sunlight on winter trees, Santa Clara County.

This photo was made in my “backyard,” relatively speaking, of the hills south of Silicon Valley. This morning it was very foggy here, and when it looked like the fog might stick around I grabbed my camera gear and headed out to see what opportunities might await. I did photograph some foggy subjects (photos will appear here before long) but eventually I wandered up an old rural road that I hadn’t visited in years.

California’s winter climate can seem quite strange to out-of-staters. In most of the state, except for the high mountains and desert areas, the latter part of winter is our green season. And now, in late January, it has begun again in Northern California. As I drove up this little road, new grass was turning the hillsides green, and there were leaves on some trees. I stopped at a wide spot to photograph the delightfully complex silhouette of this tree in hazy sunlight.


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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Munich Christmas Market

“Munich Christmas Market” — The evening crowd at the Munich Christmas Market.

Among other things, we timed our late-2024 trip to Europe to coincide with the Christmas market season. We had heard about these events for years, and this was finally our opportunity to see some of them as we visited various cities. Our main targets were in Germany, but before we were done we also saw some in France and Spain. They are everywhere, and the basic theme is similar despite regional variations. (Gluhwein in Germany becomes vin chaud in France.)

Munich was the final Germany city we visited this time. We were not there primarily for the Christmas market — we planned to attend a concert, go out to dinner, and generally experience the place. But on the first afternoon our walking route took us right through this main market. It was crowded, to the point that it was hard to walk. Vendor stalls lined the street, selling all kinds of holiday items, from food and drink to Christmas ornaments and warm gloves and socks.


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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Fog and Tree at First Light

“Fog and Tree at First Light” — A winter tree silhouetted against foggy dawn sky in California’s Central Valley.

I photographed this tree on the last morning of our New Year’s visit to California’s Central Valley. We were out there for three days — New Year’s Eve through January 2. Our targets were migratory birds (geese, cranes, and more) and the often-foggy valley landscape. Unlike most of the people who live out there — who prefer sunshine — we seek out the mysterious and moody qualities of the fog.

We arrived here right around the very first faint pre-dawn light — a slight glow in the eastern sky. It was foggy, just as we hoped, but the fog wasn’t all that dense or deep. We could see the sky overhead and there was enough visibility (barely) to drive safely. In places the fog thinned and we could see more of the landscape, albeit muted by haze. I photographed this tree well before sunrise and against the first color in the morning 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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSkyEmail

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

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