Tag Archives: america

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Death Valley, Mountains, Morning Haze

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Death Valley, Mountains, Morning Haze
“Death Valley, Mountains, Morning Haze” — Morning haze over Death VAlley and desert mountains..

This view is from the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley. We were fortunate that it was accessible at all. The initial access road reopened days before our arrival after being closed for most of the year… and a storm closed it again on the day we left the park. The dark foreground mountain is part of the range from which I made the photograph. In the middle ground we see the still-shadowed floor of the valley with the Amargosa River passing through salt flats. Beyond that are several more desert mountain ranges disappearing into distant haze.

Some of the most spectacular sites in Death Valley National Park lie far from the familiar tourist hot spots. Reaching them may require hiking or long droves on rough desert roads. (This is a very big park!) And seeing these places at the best time often means traveling to them in predawn darkness or returning late at night. To arrive at this location we started driving a couple of hours before sunrise, and the last part of the drive was on a narrow gravel road.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Chicago, Photographs: Travel

River Walk

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River Walk
“River Walk” — Pedestrians on the Chicago River Walk on a cold November morning.

This scene caught my attention as we crossed the bridge on Michigan Ave, heading toward Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile.” Here the river bends slightly before heading deeper into downtown Chicago near “The Loop.” Nearby tall buildings reflected the morning sun into the scenery from different directions. It was early enough that only a small number of people were out walking along the river.

Until this morning we had spent most of our visit inside The Loop, located south of the Chicago River. Now we joined the throngs of people (not visible in the photo, obviously) heading south on Michigan Avenue to the “Magnificent Mile,” where a nighttime holiday parade would take place later on.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Ghost Towns, Photographs: People In Landscape

Mining Ruins, Death Valley National Park

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Mining Ruins, Death Valley National Park
“Mining Ruins, Death Valley National Park” — Ruins of an miner’s cabin, Death Valley National Park.

Among American national parks, Death Valley is known for extensive and diverse evidence of human presence. There are traces of ancient people from the time of European immigrants and their descendants. More recently, members of the latter group came to this landscape as prospectors and miners. Today, even in the most remote parts of the park, you can find their decaying remnants, like this old cabin.

I have visited this site for years, and each time I ponder what it must have been like to live and work in a place like this. It is high in desert mountains, without trees or water, and most people would regard it as desolate. Nearby is a small mine that appears to have been worked by hand. Over the years that I have visited the tiny cabin has continued to deteriorate, and I cannot imagine that it will last much longer.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Three Trees and Pasture

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Three Trees and Pasture
“Three Trees and Pasture” — Three dormant trees in a newly-green Central Valley pasture.

A band of photographers and friends has met in a semi-wild place every New Year’s Day for about a decade. We get join welcome tothe new year, share stories, and photograph birds and the landscape. Until this year we had a streak of good weather New Year’s Days, but we were due for bad weather — and we got it! It wasn’t exactly horrible, but it was rather wet and gray… except for a few moments when the clouds parted enough to allow some light.

These three bare trees are old friends of mine. I’ve visited and photographed them for years. This time I was intrigued by the light on more distant trees, the ominous skies, and the newly green pasture. That winter green is a characteristic of much of California. it must almost seem to those from other places that our seasons are backwards — brown and dry in the summer and lush and green in the middle of winter.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.