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

Trees and Granite Slabs, Morning

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Trees and Granite Slabs, Morning
Trees and Granite Slabs, Morning

Trees and Granite Slabs, Morning. Yosemite National Park, California. July 23, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning backlight catches a group of lodgepole pine trees growing on a series of granite slabs in the high country of Yosemite National Park.

This photograph carries with it what almost amounts to a bit of embarrassment – of the “how did I not see this” category. I have driven past this spot literally scores of times, more likely hundreds of times, and not seen the possible photograph here. In fairness, it was not always at this particular time of day, and it is in a location where it would be natural to be distracted by other visual interests.

In any case, this series of granite slabs on a low dome-like feature is fairly typical of the Sierra high county of Yosemite, and I am always attracted to the combination of the widely separated trees and the glacially-formed granite slabs. Here I was also attracted to the way the main trees were set off against the muted tones of the distant ridge which is still in shadow at the early hour of the day.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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keywords: lodgepole, tamarack, pine, granite, dome, slab, benches, morning, light, haze, back, glacial, polish, ledge, forest, yosemite, national, park, california, usa, north america, high, sierra, nevada, mountain, range, tioga, pass, road, tenaya, lake, highway, 120, landscape, nature, scenic, travel, stock

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

Ice, Water, and Reflected Clouds

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Ice, Water, and Reflected Clouds
Ice, Water, and Reflected Clouds

Ice, Water, and Reflected Clouds. Yosemite National Park, California. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of clouds reflected in the surface of shoreline water on a frozen alpine lake, Yosemite National Park.

Once I discovered the reflections of evening clouds in this narrow band of water between the ice and the shoreline of this frozen lake, I managed to make several exposures as the clouds continuously moved past. (I earlier posted a color photograph taken at about the same time.) As I went through the group of images I wanted to try one in a black and white rendition and this one seemed like the of the bunch for that interpretation.

Since the “abstractness” of this scene is what drew me to it, I decided to run with that idea in this version. Although it may not be apparent, this interpretation is the result of more post-processing work than was the case with the similar color photograph.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

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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.

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

Half Dome and El Capitan, Morning

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Half Dome and El Capitan, Morning
Half Dome and El Capitan, Morning

Half Dome and El Capitan, Morning. Yosemite National Park, California. June 5, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of backlit Half Dome framed by steep Yosemite Valley canyon walls including the face of El Capitan.

Allow me one more photograph in the recent sequence of black and white photographs of “Yosemite icons.” On most drives into and out of the Valley I stop and look at this scene and frequently try to photograph it if the conditions are special. In the morning there is often haze here, and this creates an effect of atmospheric recession from the half dozen or so layers in the scene. It is a tricky thing – a bit too much haze and the details of forest and rock can become almost invisible; too little haze and the contrast between brightly lit highlights (like the patch of snow on Half Dome) and the deep shadows can become quite stark. The image I have in mind includes the effect of atmosphere-highlighted distance, the effect of back-lighting on the trees (most obvious here perhaps at the lower left), and the abstract nature of the different intersecting slopes and faces.

A technical note: I used the Canon 5D2 with the EF 100-400mm zoom at 365mm to make this photograph. Some doubt that a zoom like this can produce enough resolution, but at full size I can just barely make out a couple people on the snow bank atop Half Dome. Sharp enough for me!

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM at 365mm
ISO 200, f/11, 1/400 second

keywords: yosemite, national, park, sierra, nevada, mountain, spring, nature, valley, half, dome, el capitan, forest, ridge, mountain, cliff, face, back, light, trees, atmosphere, recession, distance, sky, snow, patch, field, summit, canyon, bright, landscape, scenic, travel, california, usa, north america, mariposa, county, haze, stock, black and white, monochrome, morning, highway, 120, icon

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

Bridalveil Fall and Merced River Canyon, Morning

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Bridalveil Fall and Merced River Canyon, Morning
Bridalveil Fall and Merced River Canyon, Morning

Bridalveil Fall and Merced River Canyon, Morning. Yosemite National Park, California. June 5, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of Bridalveil Fall and the Merced River canyon in morning backlight – Yosemite Valley, California.

This is the classic view of Bridalveil Fall looking up the canyon of the Merced River as seen from highway 120 just below the longest tunnel on the road descending into the Valley. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven down this road into The Valley, but I seem unable to resist pulling over and at least having a look.

On this early June morning all of the waterfalls were in full flow and the Merced was only 24 hours away from cresting with spring melt-water. The Merced was full from bank to bank, and the sound of falling water was everywhere in the Valley. (Though I only stayed there a few hours before the crowds drove me to visit Tioga Pass instead.) I wasn’t certain quite how to photograph this as the backlit morning haze created a very low contrast effect in the atmosphere even though the areas where the sun hit the water (on the river and at the top of the fall) were very bright. I had a hunch that it might work best in black and white, and after working on it a bit in post that hunch seemed to be correct.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

G Dan Mitchell Photography | Twitter | Friendfeed | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Email

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM at 360mm
ISO 200, f/4.9, 1/320 second

keywords: yosemite, national, park, sierra, nevada, mountain, spring, nature, bridalveil, fall, waterfall, merced, river, canyon, cliff, valley, black and white, monochrone, forest, morning, light, back, havze, atmosphere, recession, mist, slope, ridge, shadow, landscape, nature, travel, scenic, california, usa, north america, road, highway, 120, stock