Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Pond, Fog, and Sun

Image February 29, 2024 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Fog turns mundane landscapes into things of mystery. It was quiet and still along the edge of the pond reflecting the rising sun . On a clear day this is a place of long views across a flat landscape of water and sky. But thick tule fog limits the view to perhaps 100 feet, and even the furthest extent of that short distance is nearly opaque.

This was one of those days that began with fog so thick that photography was almost impossible. I edged along a levee road, car windows open, listening for birds that were hidden from sight. The fog was shallow and luminous, and at times I could look up and see the 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.

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

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

Graffiti, Bologna

Image February 28, 2024 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

We spent several very enjoyable days in Bologna, Italy last summer. There are many wonderful things about this city — its two famous towers, the activities in the central piazza, the food, and more. But the amount of graffiti in the central city is quite striking, to the point that it seems to be a real part of the city’s character. The street art is quite diverse, including the familiar large scrawls, bits of poetry, and more — in this area including a Madonna and Child image.

I remember this from our first visit years ago. We came into the city late in the day, dropped off the car in a garage staffed with questionable characters, had to hunt for our lodgings inside an unmarked building, and then found ourselves unable to enter. We got in, got settled, and went out to find dinner. In our area the streets were deserted, no streetlights were on, nothing was opened, the walls were covered with similar graffiti. The sensory effect was post-apocalyptic. (I can report that the Bologna experience is mostly much different than that!)

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Levee Road, Trees, Fog

Image February 27, 2024 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

I love tule fog and the mysterious atmosphere it creates. But even more, I love what happens as it clears. Out here in the Central Valley the fog often seems to drift and thin unevenly. It moves away in one place to reveal a hazy landscape, but nearby the fog lingers and blocks longer views. Visible overhead through the shallow layer is combination of blue morning sky, high clouds, and sometimes soft remnants of the dissipating fog.

This scene is along a levee road, one of a seemingly infinite number of similar roads out in the wet parts of the valley. Many Californians, including me, tend to think of the summertime Central Valley, a place that is known for heat and dryness. But in the winter it can be the opposite, a cold and damp place, often dotted by seasonal ponds and lakes.

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Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Foraging Snowy Egret

Image February 26, 2024 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Almost any time I spot any sort of egret, it seems like the bird is busy eating. The snowy and great egrets, in particular, always seem to be hunting — and they are quite expert at it. I had gone to a little point overlooking a pond, intending to photograph small birds, when I noticed this snowy egret in the plants along the shoreline. I began photographing, figuring that it would quickly fly off or at least begin to edge away — but it stuck around and continued foraging.

The first I heard of these birds was in a college natural history class. The professor was a particular fan of the snowy egrets — I believe he wrann a group working to protect them. Oddly, I don’t recall actually seeing the birds or at least learning to recognize them until decades later. The first egrets I remember seeing were great egrets that I would encounter along creeks in the early morning, but since I began paying more attention I have seen many snowy egrets and a few of their other cousins.

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G Dan Mitchell Photography

Pond, Fog, and Sun

Graffiti, Bologna

Levee Road, Trees, Fog

Foraging Snowy Egret

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