Tag Archives: approach

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Storm Approaches

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Storm Approaches
Approaching storm, sunlight on water, clearing fog along the Big Sur coast

Storm Approaches. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Approaching storm, sunlight on water, clearing fog along the Big Sur coast.

While summer is the most popular time for tourists to visit California’s spectacular Big Sur coastline, I’d rather go there in the winter — which is just what I did today. This is the season of the most interesting and dynamic conditions — storms approaching and departing, big surf, clouds and mist, and the low sun reflecting on the water.

To be honest, I initially thought that I might get ahead of the next Pacific weather front, which was scheduled to arrive in the evening. The weather forecast was calling for partly sunny morning conditions, and I planned this little trip with that in mind. But as I headed south from the Carmel area it was obvious that there were plenty of clouds to the south and offshore. Here and there the clouds thinned enough to bring a bit of directional light or reflect off the surface of the Pacific, but overall the sky leaned in the “ominous” direction. I stopped briefly at this familiar spot to photograph this cliff descending steeply into the water, with a few thinning fog clouds dissipating along the ridge of the mountains extending to teh south.

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 and Amazon.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Approaching Cranes, Dawn Fog

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Approaching Cranes, Dawn Fog
Sandhill cranes approach through thin morning fog under dawn sky

Approaching Cranes, Dawn Fog. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sandhill cranes approach through thin morning fog under dawn sky.

Mornings in places such as this are a combination of stillness and solitude… and the sounds of many thousands of birds, often quite raucous as they greet the start of a new day. I usually arrive while it is still to dark to photograph, but quickly the light grows and I get to work, since the most interesting opportunities often come quickly as birds fly out and as the light changes.

I love foggy mornings in such places, preferring those that are much foggier than this morning. In fact, the foggier the better! Ideally I’ll start out in thick fog, watch it slowly clear as I work, see the faint directional light of the winter sun emerge. This morning wasn’t quite that foggy, though there was a bit of it around at first light. I stopped to look back towards a grove of cottonwoods, and a flock of sandhill cranes flew straight toward my position.

Birdscapes — David Hoffman and G Dan Mitchell
Birdscapes — David Hoffman and G Dan Mitchell

“Birdscapes” — An exhibit of photography featuring birds in the Pacific Flyway landscape featuring work of David Hoffman and G Dan Mitchell opens this weekend at the Stellar Gallery, 40982 Hwy. 41, Oakhurst, CA near the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Opening reception at 5-8:00pm at the gallery. Show runs though mid-March.

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 and Amazon.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetland Evening Reflections

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Wetland Evening Reflections
A wetland pont reflects a late-autumn evening sky as a weather front approaches

Wetland Evening Reflections. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A wetland pont reflects a late-autumn evening sky as a weather front approaches

This wetland evening was representative of another seasonal “type” here in California — the conditions that arise as one of our Gulf of Alaska weather fronts approaches the state. Once the storm arrives the light can be quite gray, but there is a transitional period when beautiful high clouds begin to move in, but are still broken enough to reveal the sky and to allow direct sunlight to illuminate the landscape and sky.

This was one of those evenings. As it became later the conditions changed from clear to increasingly cloudy. By the time I made this photograph the sun had already dropped behind the clouds to the west, and the light became much softer and much less warm in color. Yet, to my north some of that color still appeared in the higher clouds, and I stopped to photograph this sky and its reflection in a shallow pond.

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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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

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

Approaching Geese, Evening

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Approaching Geese, Evening
Approaching Geese, Evening

Approaching Geese, Evening. Central Valley, California. December 11, 2012. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Ross’s geese approach their evening landing spot on a hazy late-autumn evening in California’s Central Valley.

This is yet another photograph of Ross’s geese from our December 2012 trek to the migratory bird areas of California’s Central Valley. We saw nearly all of the possible seasonal weather types on this day, save actual rain (that held off for another day) and clear, unfiltered sunlight. But other than that the day transitioned from so-thick-you-can-barely-drive tule fog, to clearing and drifting fog, to fog burning off, to brilliantly luminous winter haze, to dull and gray light as the first clouds of an incoming storm began to arrive, to the finale of a suddenly and unexpectedly colorful sunset.

After a mid-afternoon break to grab a bit to eat, we returned to this wildlife refuge in hopes of photographing the fly-in. Indeed, there were many thousands of Ross’s geese around, settled into pastures and occasionally lifting off to circle the area and then land again. But the light became increasingly dull as the first clouds of an approaching Pacific winter weather system arrived in the west. I made this photograph in what was, in many ways, rather gloomy light, though it is apparent that the sky is just beginning to pick up a hint of the pink that soon developed into a downright amazingly intense sunset. At this particular point in the evening I had positioned myself beyond the end of a large flock that stretched from nearly my position to the line of trees seen in the distance. It seemed that many of the geese were starting to move from the far end of the flock to closer to my position, so I was a in a good spot to photograph them straight on as they approached, and I had managed to position the slightly darker trees behind them, allowing their lighter bodies to stand out a bit. This group was just about to set down not far in front of me.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.