Morning Musings

I Chickened Out

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Or perhaps made a wise decision?

I was all set to drive over the Sierra Crest today for another session of autumn color photography. But when I checked the road reports early this morning I read that roads over Ebbetts, Sonora, and Tioga Passes were closed, and that chain requirements were up on 50, 80, 89, and the portions of 395 that I would drive on.

So I’m still at home. I am thinking of zipping up to San Francisco this afternoon to photograph some of the Fleet Week activities, including the Blue Angels. I still may try a one day marathon drive to the Sierra and back tomorrow, since this will be my last chance for fall color photography on the “east side” for the year.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Grove, South Bishop Creek

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Aspen Grove, South Bishop Creek

Aspen Grove, South Bishop Creek. Sierra Nevada, California. October 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Aspen grove near South Bishop Creek in full autumn color.

Another aspen grove photograph from last weekend’s Epic Aspen Hunt in the eastern Sierra, this example from the south fork of Bishop Creek below South Lake. This specific spot was not one that would necessarily attract anyone – it was down a short and very inconspicuous dirt road paralleling the main paved roadway, and there was only one other photographer shooting in the area when I visited. I just drove into the grove on this little one-lane road, found a pull-out, and got out and shot right where I found myself; I spent at least a half hour exploring this one very small are of dense trees. The shaded grove provided an opportunity to see and photograph the brilliant colors and bright white trunks of these trees without having do deal with the harsh direct sunlight that can create a dynamic range that is almost impossible to capture.

For those hoping to photograph these aspen during the upcoming weekend, some advice. I think that these the trees in these higher areas up the roads to North Lake, South Lake, and Sabrina Lake are likely to have pretty much run their course by now. Reports I saw today seemed to say as much, but they did mention that the colors further down that canyons are looking pretty good. I’ll probably head back up on Saturday and Sunday, but I’m likely to shoot in lower-elevation areas including Lundy and Lee Vining Canyons – the latter often has good color a bit later in the season.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Events, News

Blue Angels in San Francisco

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San Francisco Bay Area photographers will likely be out in droves this weekend to photograph the Blue Angels during Fleet Week events around the Bay. (I won’t be there – going to photograph more eastern Sierra fall color – but I did see them “rehearsing” over downtown SF yesterday afternoon.) Jim M. Goldstein has shared some advice for photographing the Blue Angels at his blog – along with some of his impressive photographs from the Blue Angels’ previous visits.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Site News

Another Site Formatting Experiment

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You may have noticed that the last few “daily photographs” on my blog have appeared in a larger size, rather than in the clickable thumbnail format that I had been using. These photographs are coming from my Flickr Gallery – and if the experiment works I may continue this approach.

(Once I complete the ongoing work to rebuild my own photograph gallery you will again be able to find all of my archived photographs there.)

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

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