Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

The Valley, Autumn Fog, Evening

January 5, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Fog fills Yosemite Valley at dusk following an autumn storm

OK, I confess that sometimes I still stop at Tunnel View, and sometimes I do take my camera out, and I may even make a photograph. ;-) On this late-autumn evening I had been in the Valley for just an afternoon, on a day that had begun with quite heavy rainfall as I drove to Oakhurst for a meeting. The rain turned to showers with some breaks of sunlight as I drove to the Valley in the afternoon for a few hours of photography.

I photographed well east in the Valley, working wit clouds that were brushing past pinnacles and faces high on the granite walls. As the sunlight left that subject I packed up and started to head out of the Valley and back toward Oakhurst. I passed Tunnel View, and as I always do, I did a quick visual check to see what was going on. I got out of the car and walked to the overlook — there were almost no photographers left by this point, as it was well into the dusk blue hour light. It was quite dark, actually, though there was still residual light on the furthest peaks and on higher portions of the clouds, Drifting low clouds and fog almost filled the Valley itself. The fog was intriguing, so I dashed back to my vehicle, grabbed the camera and a lens and tripod, rushed back, and set up to make a few exposures in the failing light.

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

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

Trees, Fog, and Geese

January 4, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Ross’s geese fly through early morning fog and among trees in California’s Central Valley

A small group of us met before dawn on New Year’s Day, as we do each year, at a location in the California Central Valley, with the plan of welcoming the (literal!) dawn of the new year in the company of a few photographer friends and few tens of thousands of feathered friends.

It is typical for there to be tule fog in parts of the Central Valley on winter mornings, and we encountered some as we drove. However, we were surprised to find that it had pretty much cleared by the time we arrived, and we actually got to see the sun rise above a distant fog bank. But not long after this the fog began to move back in — first isolated pockets formed above creeks and ponds, and soon it began to collect in long streamers passing overhead. I bracketed a flock of Ross’s geese between a nearby solitary tree (with a couple of hawks that you may spot if you look closely) and a further line of cottonwoods as the fog began to thicken.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Oak Tree, Clearing Storm

January 3, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A Yosemite valley oak tree with autumn storm clouds swirling around granite cliffs

This may be an almost quintessential Yosemite Valley autumn scene — a bit of golden brown meadow, back-lit black oak tree fall color, granite cliffs, and the clouds of a dissipating early season storm.

This is perhaps my favorite time in the Valley, with a snowy winter day providing the only real competition for that designation. There is an end-of-summer feeling still, especially since the days are often sunny and pleasantly warm. The place is more colorful than at any other time of year — spring wildflowers may be more diverse, but the masses of leaves are larger. With an early rain storm, the near-dormant waterfalls spring back to life and the Merced River rises. And behind all of the knowledge that winter’s arrival is only weeks away.

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Florence Building

January 2, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A gritty looking Florence building

It was almost the end of our five weeks of American, British, and European travel this past August — from New York City in late July to the UK at the start of August, and then through Paris, Heidelberg, and several areas in Italy. The trip was winding down. Truth be told, we were at the point where we would have been happy to continue traveling, but it was time to return to the US and get back to the so-called real world.

We went out for a morning walk in Florence, heading away from the busiest areas in the opposite direction from our hotel. We wandered up narrow streets to a large, open square, and then simply “random walked” our way back. For an American, particularly a west coast American perhaps, central Florence is a remarkably different looking place. This is not just because of the very old streets and buildings but secondarily because of the state of their exteriors. In many places things are very similar colors, in a range between brown and tan, and most buildings don’t look all that fancy from the outside. There is a striking lack of advertising signs — a shop might typically have one sign and it probably isn’t lit much if at all. This building had a practical look about it, with pipes, wires, and conduit on the outside. The light was remarkable — an unusual combination of brilliance combined with a certain softness that the Italian atmosphere provided almost the entire time we were there.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

The Valley, Autumn Fog, Evening

Trees, Fog, and Geese

Oak Tree, Clearing Storm

Florence Building

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