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

Christmas Market, Montpellier, France

Image February 5, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Christmas market in Montpellier, France — “Christmas Market, Montpellier, France” — Throngs of people crowd the Christmas Market at Montpellier, France.

Today’s photo is a bit photo-journalistic, but sometimes that is appropriate for travel. We ended up at this Christmas market in Montpellier, France almost by accident. We knew there was a market, but we were not sure where it was located. We went on one of our morning “random walks,” heading toward the high point of the old section of the city, where we found a pond where an ancient aqueduct terminates. The market filled a large hilltop square between that and the upper end of the city’s main street.

We knew about German Christmas markets, and one of our goals during the first weeks of our trips was to visit them. We were less aware that these markets are actually all over Europe — we saw them in France and Spain during our trip. While the German markets seem to be best known, the other markets follow the same general theme — rows of booths selling food, drink, warm clothing items, Christmas decorations, and much more to throngs of holiday visitors.

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.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, Clearing Fog

Image February 4, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

I made this photograph during a fortuitous moment of light and atmosphere. We were in California Central Valley wetlands primarily to photograph migratory birds. The tule fog was thick when we began our work before sunrise. But later on, as we came to the edge of this pond, the fog thinned around us, producing a bit of clear air even as more distant surroundings remained shrouded in fog.

In direct sunlight the effect can be somewhat harsh and stark, but since everything around from this little area was still shrouded in fog and mist (even the sky above contained clouds) the overall light was still soft. I got down low to position the darker foreground water and grasses in front of the more distant wetlands terrain and the distant trees barely visible in the fog.

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Weathered Wall, Zaragoza

Image February 3, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Travel can awaken the senses in all sorts of ways. It opens ours mind to different ways of living and seeing the world, unfamiliar histories, new (and old) architecture, new food, and much more. Travel reminds us that many things we take for granted fromyour own perspective are open to question. During our travels, among other activities, we wander a lot on foot, taking time to “discover” our own relationships with places.

This photo comes from a stay in Zaragoza, Spain late last fall. We stopped there for several days between stays in France and then Madrid. Zaragoza doesn’t appear to be a very popular tourist destination, but we really enjoyed the areas of the city we visited – mostly the central, older area. I made this photograph on a morning walk that took us past the city’s impressive Central Market.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands Morning, Tule Fog

Image February 2, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Clearing fog at dawn in California wetlands. — “Wetlands Morning, Tule Fog” — Tule fog begins to clear above wetlands just beore a winter sunrise.

Some of my favorite photography conditions happen when it is difficult to see. I love photographing directly into the sunlight, in fog and mist, in marginal light, and at night. This is partly just my fascination with the complex lighting. But I think it is also about making photographs that don’t quite show it all, and which leave it to the viewer to wonder about the subjects and imagine what else might be there.

This is another of my winter Central Valley photographs, made in a place I often visit to photograph migratory birds in the late autumn and winter months. In full sunlight these landscapes can sometimes feel rather mundane. But at dawn or dusk, especially when tule fogs forms, they are transformed into moody and mysterious places.

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

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G Dan Mitchell Photography

Christmas Market, Montpellier, France

Wetlands, Clearing Fog

Weathered Wall, Zaragoza

Wetlands Morning, Tule Fog

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