Tag Archives: america

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Forest and Meadow, Evening

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Forest and Meadow, Evening
“Forest and Meadow, Evening” — Soft evening light on backcountry forest and meadows, Sierra Nevada.

One of the attractions of the Sierra backcountry is deep quiet, something that gets lost in all the attention paid to spectacular peaks, wild sunrises and sunsets, flowing water, and more. From the photographic perspective, this may partly be because it is easier to reflect those powerful subjects in a photograph — quiet photographs don’t demand our attention in the same way. This is one of the quiet photographs.

We were camped very close to this scene for about a week on a backcountry trip. Like virtually all photographers, we started our work at the beginning of our stay by heading out to photograph those peaks, wildflower-filled meadows, spectacular skies, and streams cascading over rocks and through meadows. But as we settled into the quiet daily routines of the backcountry we began to notice other things — like this scene with a few trees and bit of rocky meadow in the soft evening light.

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

Aspen Transitions

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Aspen Transitions
“Aspen Transitions” — A small stand of old aspen snags surrounded by young trees transitioning to autumn colors, Eastern Sierra Nevada.

Photographers sometimes debate the “best” moment to photograph autumn aspen color. Some say it is when the first trees start to show golden color. Others prefer the stage where every color from green through yellow, orange, and red is visible. Then the green leaves fall and only the wild autumn color remains. But there’s also something compelling about the post-peak stage when leaves have fallen and stark white trunks are more visible. This photograph is from the “every color”stage. You can follow the “aspen color rainbow” from the closest green trees to intensely colorful trees farther up the valley.

This color range is not the only “transition” in this photograph. Aspens do not last forever — old trees die and new ones quickly spring up. I’ve gone back to burned groves months after a fire to see new shoots already emerging from the roots of the burned trees. Look closely at this photograph and you’ll see a row of old aspen snags near the front of the scene. Perhaps they were burned in a fire years ago, but now they are almost obscured by the colorful new trees.

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

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.

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