Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Tree, Clearing Fog, Dawn

Image January 7, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Certain subjects keep drawing me back. I don’t mean just general types of subjects, but very specific things, places, objects, and so forth. This tree, at this time of day, in these conditions, is one of those subjects. It is at a place where I frequently photograph in the winter months, and I usually try to be there on mornings when the fog will clear at or after dawn — a morning just like this one.

There is something to be said for seeking out new and unusual subjects. But I think there is also great value in returning to the same subjects and getting to know them more deeply. Beyond that, there is a wonderful sense of being “grounded” in a familiar landscape, one that you know from long acquaintance, to the point that the surprises happen against a backdrop of deep familiarity.

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.

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

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if 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: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Narrow Street with Automobile

Image January 6, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

This is a narrow street in Montpellier, France. Like so many European cities and towns, with their long histories, the central area is filled with these tiny, curving lanes. They were most definitely not designed with automobiles in mind — more likely pedestrians and perhaps an occasional horse-drawn wagon. Since the building are built right to the edge of the street, there is no way to widen the lanes — so cars are very small and access is quite limited.

If you are American, you might think this would be a bad thing. We are used to cities built around and/or adapted to the automobile. Even older cities, like those on the Eastern Seaboard, have been adapted to have many wider avenues and lots of parking — not necessarily “enough” parking, but still. The folks who live in these European cities seem to do OK, though. Vehicles can get in when necessary, but much of the time pedestrians take over these streets.

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

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if 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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands Pond, Morning Light

Image January 5, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The experience of photographing these Central Valley winter landscapes is full of magical instants — combinations of scene, atmosphere, and light that appear and disappear so quickly that they are easily missed. In one direction thick fog might obliterate the view, while in another direction the sunlight may be emerging and bathing the scene in warm light. This was one of those moments — a distant fog bank almost obscures trees, while the reed-covered islands are bathed in direct morning sunlight.

From what I hear, the residents of California’s Great Central Valley are not exactly thrilled by tule fog. When the conditions are right it can last for days or even weeks, holding temperatures to the 30s and 40s and remaining gray and damp. But I love those conditions for photography, and a forecast of fog is often enough to persuade me to drive four hours round-trip to be there.

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

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Calle El Temple, Zaragoza

Image January 4, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

During our recent visit to Zaragoza, Spain our hotel was a few steps away from this street and from the church that I believe gives it its name. The street was a bit of mystery that we never solved. It looks like the ground floor spaces are filled with clubs and restaurants and other businesses. They are closed in the daytime with their roll-up doors shut… and covered with fascinating painted images and graffiti. The confusing thing is that nothing on the street ever appeared to open for business, even late at night even though we saw deliveries being made.

We stayed close to what I think is the boundary between the San Pablo and La Magdalena districts, very close to the Mercado Central. This is an old part of the city, and it is criss-crossed by many narrow streets, some narrow enough to almost compete with the tiny back lanes of Venice. (Although this area is old, there are also quite modern sections of the city not far away, including the shopping district near Plaza de España.)

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

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tree, Clearing Fog, Dawn

Narrow Street with Automobile

Wetlands Pond, Morning Light

Calle El Temple, Zaragoza

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