Tag Archives: america

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Rocks and Grass, Sierra Foothills

February 29, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Wildflowers and new grasses begin to sprout in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The “impossible green” season begins early in California. I want to call this a “spring” photograph, but unlike many colder parts of the USA, these colors come to California in late winter. The effect is especially striking in years with good winter rains, and after four years of crushing drought much of California has received between normal and above normal rainfall this year. This past week it seemed like the Sierra foothills were taking advantage of all the moisture and of a recent warm spell.

Over three-day period we spend time in the Central Valley, Yosemite, and in the Sierra foothills. On the first day we were somewhat surprised to see the California Golden Poppies were already blooming in places in Merced Canyon, covering hillsides with a carpet of colorful flowers. Lower down in the foothills the short grasses have turned intensely green and wildflowers are beginning to bloom.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Tundra Swans, Mount Shasta

February 22, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Tundra swans fly in front of distant cloud-shrouded Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta is one of those special mountains that stands alone and above all around it. In land that rarely exceeds a few thousand feet in elevation, this peak soars to over 14,000′, only a bit shorter than Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the Lower 48 States. While Mount Whitney is nestled into a very high section of the Sierra Crest, along with other peaks and ridges of nearly the same height, nothing near Shasta is remotely near as tall. Its bulk soars above the rest of the landscape, especially when it is covered in winter snows — and the clouds that build over its summit can make it seem even larger. As we like to point out, the peak is so big that it makes its own weather.

The peak is clearly visible from this area of the Klamath Basin, and it is the first thing to catch the morning light. While out in this immense valley photographing tundra swans I noticed that some flocks along the far side of the valley were passing in front of the peak, and I started tracking them to see if any would cross the mountain at the right elevation. As I saw a flock far to my northwest, I would begin to track it along the horizon, hoping that it would pass in front of the peak and be high enough to clear the lower and darker mountains, yet not so high as to be far above the peak.

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

Photographs: Flight, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Tundra Swans, Winter Sky

February 21, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Tundra swans against a cloud-covered winter sky

I photographed my first tundra swans a few years back, when I was just getting interesting in photographing the migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway. Actually, it was quite literally the first time I did this sort of photography. On the basis of a chance encounter with a friend who just happened to mention a place where sandhill cranes could be found, I decided this sounded as interesting as anything else on my agenda, and off I went, to a place where I was stunned to find a sky filled with birds, almost none of which I recognized, much less could name. Later when I shared one of the photographs of a line of birds flying above me, someone said, “hey, those are tundra swans.” If you say so! Somehow, possibly because of their relative scarcity where I photograph, these birds intrigued me.

Earlier this month I made another bird photography trip, also more or less on a the basis of a whim, though perhaps a little bit more informed this time and with some significant experience under my belt. Yet, arriving in this place, I really did not know what I would find — but I was very happy to discover that it was a major stopping place for these beautiful birds. Ironically I “saw” some early in the morning but didn’t recognize them. Later, during the “boring light” hours of the day I found a big group in a pond, and later that day I photographed them again. There are probably many ways to photograph them, but one seems to be to go where the birds will fly over — and that’s pretty much what I did here. I simply figured out that they were taking a certain route across a valley, and then I put myself under that spot and waited.

Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Urban/Street

Bleecker Street Pizza

February 12, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

“Famous” Bleecker Street Pizza restaurant and bar, Manhattan

I always enjoy restaurants and similar attractions that declare themselves to be “famous” or even “world-famous.” (Many years ago a place opened up in the Eastern Sierra Nevada along a main travel route and immediately declared itself to be “world-famous,” as near as I could tell on the day they opened. They must have been able to see the future, since eventually they arguably became so.) A very quick check suggests that this place might be good but might also not be exactly the most famous attraction in Manhattan…

That aside, I love the storefront. The shouting signs are classic, but the subtler elements are also interesting, from the hand-lettered “GLUTEN FREE” sign to the “as featured on WB11” testimonial and the barely visible “Purple Haze” neon sign in the window, not to mention the inevitable Manhattan plastic garbage sacks. It was a cold winter day, and no one was sitting outside at the tables, but I’ll bet things are different on a warm summer evening.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: america

Rocks and Grass, Sierra Foothills

Bleecker Street Pizza

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