Tag Archives: ameria

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, Dawn Light and Fog

Image February 12, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Yes, another foggy Central Valley morning landscape. What can I say? The subject is often on my mind this time of year. While it isn’t always that attractive in the summer, during the winter months this landscape is transformed by the arrival of migratory birds, the appearance of seasonal ponds, and the tule fog. The latter obscures some of the more mundane elements of this landscape and produces a mysterious, moody atmosphere.

I made the photograph just before sunrise. The early light was coloring the sky, visible through the shallow layer of fog. The fog was already starting to drift and thin, and it glowed with the colors of the sunrise clouds overhead. The wetlands were quiet, except for the sounds of birds, and a solitary black-necked stilt stood nearby in the shallow water.

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

Flock of Cranes in Flight

Image March 7, 2024 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

This group of sandhill cranes was a minor part of a wild mass of birds, including thousands of geese and lots of cranes. At this point in the season (mid-February) the migratory birds can be quite active during the day, with lots of coming and going. This group of birds was about to land and join a larger flock already on the ground.

I decided to use this high key approach to the photograph in order to slightly abstract the birds’ forms and to separate them from any distracting background. The photograph catches them in a particularly interesting moment: As cranes land they transition though a series of positions. First they glide in smoothly, then begin to turn into the breeze. Then the legs extend, wings rise, and necks crane forward just before they touch down.

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

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: New York City

Two Walkers, Dogwood Tree

Image August 1, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Two walkers pass a flowering dogwood tree in Central Park.

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

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Photographs: Nature

Alcove With Flowers

Image March 25, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Freshly-picked daffodils in a pot in a garden alcove.

This was a rather serendipitous photograph. We had been photographing in this large garden for an hour or two. The sun was getting higher in the sky, making the light less appealing for photographing foliage, and we decided it was time to move on. We were on our way toward the exit of the garden when I passed through a gate in a brick wall and just happen to look back… and see this little scene built into the wall.

I paused for just a moment and quickly made two exposures before we left. I had an idea that the color of the light colored daffodils would contrast with the darker textures of the alcove and the pot containing the blossoms. This was literally my last photograph of the morning.