Tag Archives: arch

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: People In Landscape

Canyon Hikers

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Canyon Hikers
“Canyon Hikers” — Two hikers walk along a desert wash between high walls in a Death Valley canyon.

It seems to me that when most people think of Death Valley National Park, the first things that come to mind are familiar desert icons, the sand dunes, with features like salt flats close behind. But the park is remarkably diverse, with other features that would surprise those who don’t know of them. Among them are the park’s canyons, some of which — like this one — feature extremely high walls.

The weather often dictates what we do on any given Death Valley day. On this one we had clouds building towards evening rain, so the light on grand landscape subjects was not especially great. So we decided to visit a canyon or two. This one is fairly accessible so we were most certainly not alone. but at times the other visitors disappeared behind curves in the canyon. I decided to include these two hikers in order to illustrate the size of the canyon.

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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

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Photographs: Croatia, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Arch, Stairs, and Plants

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Arch, Stairs, and Plants — Trogir, Croatia
“Arch, Stairs, and Plants” — Plants line stairs leading to a doorway above an arch, Trogir, Croatia.

Trogir is an intense and fascinating place. The historic old town is on an island that sits in a narrow passage between the Croatian mainland and a much larger island. It was quite crowded during the days and evenings when we visited, not only with those of us who drove (or walked) in but also those who anchored their boats right next the town.

It seems like the whole place is built of stone. The sidewalks/streets are cobblestone, walls are made of stone, and it is by far the most common construction material for buildings. I made this photograph on one of the occasions where we were able to escape the crowds (hint: go in the very early morning) and photograph with fewer distractions.

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

2 responses to “Arch, Stairs, and Plants”

  1. Jan Avatar
    Jan

    Nice memories!!

    Reply
    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      For sure!

      Dan

      Reply

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Trees and Smoke

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Trees and Smoke
“Trees and Smoke” — Smoke from a managed fire drifts among Yosemite Valley autumn trees.

I have told the story of this series of photographs before, but here is a reminder in case you missed it. I was in Yosemite for a day of autumn color photography, but when I arrived I found the Valley full of smoke from a managed fire, set to burn off accumulated undergrowth. The Park Service does this regularly these days in autumn. It isn’t pleasant for visitors, but it makes for a healthy forest that is less likely to be destroyed by wildfires in the future. But it does pose some challenges for photographers!

Fortunately, with the right subjects and light it is possible to make photographs in smoky conditions. This isn’t the first time I’ve photographed in smoke, and I have shot actual wildfires in the past. I decided that here the drifting smoke was actually kind of moody, almost like fog except with bright sunlight streaming down from above. Here I centered a tree with autumn leaves inside and arch of thicker trunks.

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

Arch, Bridge, Big Sur Headlands

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Arch, Bridge, Big Sur Headlands
“Arch, Bridge, Big Sur Headlands” — The ocean meets the rugged Big Sur coastline with an arch, a bridge, surf, fog, and coastal headlands.

One more time, this subject from the upper Big Sur coast is one that I shared last week… and last year… and perhaps almost every year before that. Yes, I’ve been stopping to photograph here for years. Each time I tell myself, “OK, you are done with this scene now.” And almost every time I pass that way again I end up stopping. And I frequently find that the atmosphere has changed to present some new way of seeing it.

This visit was on a late-February morning. The surf was large, but not monumental. Yet it was enough to combine with thinning fog to produce a luminous haze along the edge of the water. This haze was gently illuminated by the morning sun rising above the coastal mountains, and its light arrived on the flat headlands at the left just as I arrived.

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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