Tag Archives: alpine

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

Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset

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Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset
The last light of the day touches the top of Sheep Peak in the McCabe Lakes Basin, Yosemite National Park.

Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The last light of the day touches the top of a peak in the northern backcountry of Yosemite National Park.

This is not a new photograph — rather, it is a reconsideration of one that I made almost a decade ago and recently looked it with new eyes. The location is in the northern backcountry of Yosemite National Park, in a somewhat remote area characterized by high ridges, rocky terrains, and some lovely lakes. I was there with a group of friends and photographers for a few glorious days during which we took our time and explored the surrounding terrain.

We were camped at a lower lake among forest trees, in a location that gave us shelter but also access to tons of higher, more alpine terrain. Often we headed off individually to photograph, but on this late afternoon we all headed to the same place, ascending a slope at the upper end of “our” lake to arrive at the next lake up the valley. Sequences of lakes like this are common in many backcountry areas, and I enjoy the individual personalities of the lakes as they are affected by terrain and elevation. This lake was surrounded by alpine meadows, very small and sparse trees, lots of talus, and towering peaks.

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: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Shoreline

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Autumn Shoreline
Early autumn colors, granite slabs, and low water levels at a Yosemite backcountry lake.

Autumn Shoreline. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early autumn colors, granite slabs, and low water levels at a Yosemite backcountry lake.

Recently I have been going through a large body of work created on backcountry photography trips with a group of fellow photographers. The photographs begin in 2008, when I first encountered them near a favorite Yosemite high country location. It continues over the next few years when I packed myself fin and briefly joined them each season, and then over a longer period when I fully integrated with the group and began spending a week or so photographing with them (almost) every summer. It has been a wonderful experience with a great group of photographers and friends, and I’m hopeful that the story will be shared more widely in the future.

This photograph comes from 2009, the second summer that I joined them, albeit briefly. They base-camped for more than a week in this area when I backpacked in to join them for a few days. (My early departure may have been a blessing in disguise, since shortly after I left the temperatures dropped close to zero!) A benefit of settling into one location for a few days is that I have the time to slowly wander the area, a photographic opportunity that is not available on typical backpacking trips where the need to make mileage leaves far less time for photography.

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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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

Autumn Light

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Autumn Light
Autumn light on a Sierra Nevada slope with early fall color.

Autumn Light. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn light on a Sierra Nevada slope with early fall color.

This photograph come from that beautiful time of year in the Sierra Nevada when summer is drawing to a close, all the signs of the coming autumn are appearing, and the crowds diminish. (Or at least they used to — a subject for another post…) I’ve frequently written that the signs of autumn appear well before the calendar says the season arrives. This photograph comes from the first week of fall — weeks before the peak of autumn aspen color, but a time when many other autumn colors begin to burst forth.

I am a bit embarrassed to say that I’m not quite positive where I made this photograph back in 2009. I know that I came off the trail from a short backcountry photography trip on this day, and that some time after I made this photograph I seems (looking at my archive) that I went to some location where very early aspen color was beginning to appear. The likely time of day, the direction of the light, the relatively barren upper slopes, and the time of day all suggest a location near to or just east of the crest. But the exact spot? Not sure!

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

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

Morning Light, Alpine Lake

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Morning Light, Alpine Lake
The last evening light and reflections along the shoreline of an alpine lake, Yosemite National Park

Morning Light, Alpine Lake. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The last evening light and reflections along the shoreline of an alpine lake, Yosemite National Park.

Continuing my look back at backcountry trips that illustrate my connection with the First Light photographers group, here is another from the 2008 visit where I first met up with them (rather briefly!) in the mountains. My interaction with the group (who had been doing these trips together for something like seven years already at that time) consisted of two meetings. Although I knew they were in the area I had not seen them until my chance encounter with Keith at the inlet to an alpine lake. On the final day of my (solo) visit I took a short detour to pass by their camp as I started my hike out to the trailhead. I save the details of that story for another time, but let’s just say that I was impressed.

This photograph comes from the nearby lake where I camped for three nights on my parallel solo photography trip into this area. It is one of those Sierra backcountry spots that I have returned to many times over the years, so I’ve gotten to know it intimately and I have pushed out the boundaries of my experience here to include much of the surrounding landscape. On this morning I was focusing on the first early morning light on granite and brush along the shoreline, and on juxtaposing those features with the patterns submerged beneath the lake’s surface.

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 | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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