Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Desert Canyon, Cloud Shadows

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Desert Canyon, Cloud Shadows
“Desert Canyon, Cloud Shadows” A twisting and colorful desert canyon empties in Death Valley under the shadows of passing clouds.

Light is everything when it comes to photographing the desert landscapes of Death Valley. The terrain is always impressive, but the midday light can be intense and harsh, washing out colors and muting details. But in the right light a feature that might look, well, “washed out” in that intense light can become beautiful. Add a few passing clouds to increase contrasts between light and shadow and things get even more interesting.

I don’t know the name of this little canyon or even if it has one. But I do know that there are canyons like it everywhere in this national park. Many are worth exploring, whether or not there is a trail. In many cases you can just walk carefully up the gravel fan to a canyon’s mouth and then follow a wash up among the quiet hills until you run out of time or the terrain becomes too difficult.

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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Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Flooded Playa, Mountain Shadow

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Flooded Playa, Mountain Shadow
“Flooded Playa, Mountain Shadow” — The shadow of a mountain retreats across a flooded playa in morning light, Death Valley.

It is hard to make sense of the landforms of Death Valley when you are within the valley. It is so vast and so flat that your view is often a combination of what is right at your feet and what is many miles away. A more comprehensive view comes from ascending to a high point in the mountains on either side of the valley. From these elevated perspectives you can see things that are otherwise invisible.

This year these perspectives revealed something very unusual. A large section of the playa near Badwater, where the lowest point is located, is submerged under the shallow waters of Lake Manly. This photograph incorporates several elements of this year’s view — that shadow of the mountains on which I was standing, the salt flats shining white in morning light, the turquoise waters of the shallow lake, and a maze of channels along its periphery.

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

Welcome to Oz

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Welcome to Oz
“Welcome to Oz” — Street scene near Il Mago di Oz, and eccentric shop in the Italian town of Orvieto.

We’re back (figuratively) in the Italian hill town of Orvieto again for this photograph. The title comes from the sigh behind the white metal bench, and it refers to a nearby shop that I’ve shared in a previous photograph. The shop (“Il Mago di Oz”) is a strange and fantastical collection of, well, just about anything its proprietor thinks fits the theme.

Besides its connection to Land of Oz, the photograph includes features that are common on backstreets in Italian towns like this one. The building is weathered in an attractive way, it sits directly on the edge of the narrow street paved with stones, there are plants, and the light is softened in the shadows of buildings along the passageway.

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 | Post | Email

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

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

Weathered Wall

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Weathered Wall
“Weathered Wall” — Abstract patterns of paint, stucco, and weathering on a wall in Orvieto, Italy

There’s really no obvious way to tell from the image that it was made in Italy — though once you know that you may recognize that beautifully worn and weathered walls are part of the landscape there. I spotted this detail as we walked through the small hill town of Orvieto during the summer of 2023.

While I usually prefer to think of such weathering as “picturesque,” you could be forgiven for regarding it as run-down, too. To be honest, the exteriors of buildings in big cities are not always pristine, and this is especially so when we get away from fancy downtowns and into regular neighborhoods. After years of visiting such places it finally occurred to me that people in these places might surrender exterior beauty, but that they transfer their aesthetic impulse to interiors. In any case, I’m happy to find subjects like this.

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 | Post | Email

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

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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.