Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Two Trees, Sierra Rain

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Two Trees, Sierra Rain
“Two Trees, Sierra Rain” — Two trees standing on a rocky outcropping as a Sierra Nevada summer rain storm sweeps across the mountains.

In some ways I was surprised to find these two trees standing here, among high rocks not far from our campsite. After a day of heavy weather, I thought about how they had managed to escape significant damage from years of exposure to winds, precipitation, and lightning strikes. But there they were, standing tall on this little ridge above a small meadow as another storm cleared.

These are not my favorite weather conditions for photography. While clear, blue-sky mountain days don’t usually excite me, photographing in the rain is challenging, too. And it was still raining when I made this photograph. After being tied down by the storm for the better part of a day, I think I was anxious enough to get out and photograph that I was willing to work in the wet.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Ridge, Evening

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Alpine Ridge, Evening
“Alpine Ridge, Evening” — Golden hour light glances across a shattered, rocky ridge, John Muir Wilderness

There is a common notion that landscape photography is a slow and deliberate activity, that we stand in front of a static landscape and carefully work out the right composition as the landscape awaits. This can happen, but the landscape is often quite dynamic, particularly when it comes to changing light. Beams of light between clouds can move across the scene, sunset light is ephemeral, rain showers can momentarily reveal or obscure features.

I made this photograph near our campsite on a lovely late-summer evening. It was during the last half of our weeklong stay, so we were settling in. As the day ended we were all wandering about looking for photographs. As the sun dropped to the west, deep shadows began to fill the great valley in front of us and then creep up the slopes. A last beam of light fell across the near ridge, and then was gone moments after I photographed it.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Big Sur Headlands, Fog

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Big Sur Headlands, Fog
“Big Sur Headlands, Fog” — Morning fog on and early fall morning along the Big Sur coast.

You never can be quite certain of the conditions you’ll encounter along California’s Big Sur Coast. Ocean and continent boundaries are transitional zones, and conditions depend on which one dominates. On this visit I expected to arrive to clearing fog and broken sunlight on the coast. But, alas, it remained cloudy the entire time I was there. Fortunately, there are advantages to such conditions, too. The press of tourist traffic diminishes, and the coast can take on a quiet and moody quality.

I stopped at a high point where I rarely photograph these days, having been there so many times over the decades. When I do stop, it is often to use the vantage point to see if whales are passing by. No whales this time, but the headlands lined up to the north, gradually receding into the mist and haze, seemed pretty interesting — interesting enough to pull out the camera and make this photograph.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Meadow to Mountains

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Meadow to Mountains
“Meadow to Mountains” — Wild onions grow at the edge of a subalpine meadow near Sierra Nevada peaks.

I made this photograph at the end of August several years ago, camped high in the John Muir Wilderness west of the Sierra crest. Experienced Sierra travelers are probably wondering about the flowers and all that greenery — by this point in a typical year much of this country is brown and dry, and the wildflower show is largely over. But this was an unusual year. The preceding winter had been very wet, and this sustained the lush growth all the way into early September.

Our basecamp location was on a rise above a meadow with a small lake. From there we had a clear view to high peaks on ridges to our south and southwest, a view that we got to know quite well during our stay. On this morning I walked down to the lower end of the meadow, past the lake, to just before the terrain dropped into a large canyon. Here the outflow from the lake watered an area of meadow and alpine willow bushes.

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