Tag Archives: back

Updated for 2010 – My Backpacking Photography Gear

At about this time every year interest increases in the question of what equipment can work well for back-country photography. Over the years I’ve working out an approach that seems effective for my photography. A few years back I wrote an article here describing this, and I just made a few minor updates to it this morning. If you are interested, take a look at this description of my “Backpacking Photography Equipment.”

Keep in mind that my goals include making photography a primary focus of many of my back-country trips – so I’m perhaps will to endure a bigger load of gear than some might be willing to carry. Also keep in mind that I’m working to create photographs that can be turned into rather large and high quality prints – if your goals are more modest (and for most people, they should be!) you probably want to consider a somewhat different setup. Differences in your subject preferences – wildlife? macro? – might also suggest a different setup than I use.

Subalpine Meadow, Evening – Evelyn Lake

Subalpine Meadow, Evening - Evelyn Lake

Subalpine Meadow, Evening – Evelyn Lake. Yosemite National Park, California. September 8, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Late summer evening light in a subalpine meadow near Evelyn Lake in the Yosemite National Park back-country.

I’m pretty certain that my favorite time of year in the Sierra starts right about when this photograph was made – early September right after the Labor Day Holiday. I’m also certain that my favorite terrain – I call in “my Sierra” – is this sort of open timberline country with a mixture of subalpine meadow, stunted forest, and open views of surrounding higher terrain.

On this day I had come up to Evelyn Lake – located very near the Vogelsang High Sierra camp – from Lyell Canyon. After a late arrival at my Lyell Canyon camp the night before and the rather stiff morning climb up the Ireland Lake trail, I arrived here feeling pretty tired. I pretty much set up my bivy sack camp and took a big nap! Later in the day as evening approached I came back to life and decided to make a few photographs. This photograph of the meadow and a bit of a meandering stream in the meadow was made within a few yards of my campsite on the shoreline of the lake.

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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Red Alder Leaves, Autumn

Red Alder Leaves, Autumn

Red Alder Leaves, Autumn. Muir Woods National Monument, California. October 25, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunlight filtering through the canopy of the redwood forest back-lights overhead red alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument.

I posted a black and white version of this photograph yesterday – and I still go back and forth on which I prefer. The luminescent green color of the backlit alder leaves against the pattern of the branches on which they grow is what first attracted me to this subject, but I like the more abstracted nature of the black and white version. I probably won’t be able to decide until I print the photographs… if I can even decide then!

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

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Red Alder Leaves, Autumn

Red Alder Leaves, Autumn

Red Alder Leaves, Autumn. Muir Woods National Monument, California. October 25, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunlight filtering through the canopy of the redwood forest back-lights overhead red alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument.

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

I made a black and white and a color version of this image – since I think I prefer the black and white version I’m posting it first.

This year I have been returning to Muir Woods in all seasons and, among other things, I’ve watched the red alder trees as they have gone through the cycle from the first spring leaves to the deterioration of the leaves as they begin to change color before dropping from the trees as winter approaches. In many places along the main trails at Muir Woods the path travels directly beneath a canopy of these trees and when the light comes through the trees, filtered by passing through the upper levels of the forest, it highlights the curving and twisting shapes of the branches.

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keywords: muir, woods, national, monument, recreation, area, golden, gate, marin, san francisco, california, usa, forest, tree, leaf, leaves, branch, twig, spider, web, thread, glow, bokeh, nature, flora, foliage, landscape, black and white, red, alder, redwood, coast, sun, light, sunlight, filter, canopy, back, overhead, stock