Tag Archives: back country

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

Morning Light, Alpine Lake

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Morning Light, Alpine Lake
The last evening light and reflections along the shoreline of an alpine lake, Yosemite National Park

Morning Light, Alpine Lake. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The last evening light and reflections along the shoreline of an alpine lake, Yosemite National Park.

Continuing my look back at backcountry trips that illustrate my connection with the First Light photographers group, here is another from the 2008 visit where I first met up with them (rather briefly!) in the mountains. My interaction with the group (who had been doing these trips together for something like seven years already at that time) consisted of two meetings. Although I knew they were in the area I had not seen them until my chance encounter with Keith at the inlet to an alpine lake. On the final day of my (solo) visit I took a short detour to pass by their camp as I started my hike out to the trailhead. I save the details of that story for another time, but let’s just say that I was impressed.

This photograph comes from the nearby lake where I camped for three nights on my parallel solo photography trip into this area. It is one of those Sierra backcountry spots that I have returned to many times over the years, so I’ve gotten to know it intimately and I have pushed out the boundaries of my experience here to include much of the surrounding landscape. On this morning I was focusing on the first early morning light on granite and brush along the shoreline, and on juxtaposing those features with the patterns submerged beneath the lake’s surface.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Evening in a High Place

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Evening in a High Place
Long evenng view across boulder-filled alpine meadows toward distant peaks, Yosemite National Park.

Evening in a High Place. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Long evenng view across boulder-filled alpine meadows toward distant peaks, Yosemite National Park.

This area is one I’ve visited many times — in fact I used to make an annual ritual out of returning. This place and others like it provide a rare and wonderful thing, the opportunity to wander alone, unbounded by trails, across a vast wilderness landscape, going wherever my interest and abilities may take me.

Recently I have had reason to review photographs from over a decade of visits to the Sierra backcountry with a group of fellow photographers (sometimes referred to as the “First Light group) with whom I’ve been fortunate to share many a golden hour. It is hard to be definitive about when this began, but in this case there are some clear markers in the timeline. Shortly before making this photograph back in 2008 I had just descended from a lake in a rocky hanging valley when I encountered a photographer heading in my direction. The photographers was a part of the group, and after Keith and I spoke briefly we each went our separate ways. Mine took me to this area of open meadows and long vistas as the day ended. As such, this might be considered among first photographs to emerge from this association.

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 | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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