Tag Archives: america

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

Dark Terrain, Evening Light

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Dark Terrain, Evening Light
“Dark Terrain, Evening Light” — Evening light and distant clouds above scattered desert plants growing on dark soil.

On this afternoon we decided to make a late run toward the northern end of Death Valley to photograph a particular feature. We perhaps got of to a slightly late start, but the light was still interesting as we approached. Nearby there is an area of very dark soil (which I assume may have volcanic origins) with very sparse plants. I’ve tried to photograph it before but with limited success. There was lovely cloud-dappled side light when we passed so we stopped to photograph.

The plan was for a brief stop before continuing to our planned destination while the light was good. But “the best laid plans” and all of that… Once I wandered into this spare landscape I found more and more interesting things to photograph — the plants on the rolling hills, tiny wildflowers just poking up through the soil, small playa-like areas of dried mud, and more. Before long we noticed the sun dropping behind nearby mountains… and by the time we got to our planned destination the light was fading.

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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: Nature

Lake Manly, Mountains, and Sky

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Lake Manly, Mountains, and Sky
“Lake Manly, Mountains, and Sky” — Desert mountains reflected in Lake Manly under morning sky.

I am always looking for simple, minimalist forms in the desert landscape. The lack of vegetation presents the landscape unadorned, and the shapes of the rugged features can acquire an abstract quality. Here the mirrored forms of the Black Mountains form a wedge shape that cuts into a blue landscape of sky and its reflection in Lake Manly.

Water in Lake Manly presents even more possibilities along these lines. In more typical conditions this photograph would be impossible. Instead of filling the frame with the sky and its reflection, the lower third would be a very dry salt flat — interesting, for sure, but entirely different than the water-reflected mirror image of the mountains and sky.

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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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Three Trees And A Valley

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Three Trees And A Valley
“Three Trees And A Valley” — Three autumn trees and Yosemite Valley cliffs.

This photograph has been in the queue for months as I worked on other subjects, and before that it languished in my raw file archive for a couple of years. I rediscovered it during a review of past season’s fall color photographs last year. There is a bit of fall color in the leaves of these trees, but it may be subtle.

After photographing in Yosemite Valley for decades, I am less inclined to re-photograph the big icons. I’ll do so in exceptional conditions, but I’m more interested in poking around odd corners of the valley and looking for new perspectives. This location is a bit tricky — several years ago it was identified as being an area prone to rockfall — but I’m attracted to several features of this view. The foreground trees don’t quite block the view, and beyond them a large meadow allows plentiful light. Across the valley are steep cliffs, in including some with cascades and small waterfalls.

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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

Winter Plants, Fog, and Bird

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Winter Plants, fog, and Bird
“Winter Plants, Fog, and Bird” — A solitary bird perches in wetland plants on foggy winter morning.

Winter is the time of fog and migratory birds in California’s Central Valley. But once again and all too soon, we are approaching the end of that season. Orchards are blooming and temperatures are rising, and in a week or two the migratory geese will be on their way north again. The thick tule fogs will give way to the clearer skies of spring.

This photograph comes from a visit to the Valley back in January, on a day I chose precisely because it was going to be foggy. It turns out that I got too much of what I was looking for — the fog never cleared, and in the murk I could not find many of the birds I came for. Instead, I photographed the quiet and mysterious landscape.

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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.