Tag Archives: back

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

High Country Desert Canyon

Leave a comment
High Country Desert Canyon
High Country Desert Canyon

High Country Desert Canyon. Death Valley National Park, California. April 6, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A back-country gravel road twists through the upper reaches of a colorful mountain canyon, Death Valley National Park

The gravel back-country road might be hard to spot in this photograph, but if you look closely near the lower right you may see it twisting around a bend before crossing the canyon behind the rocky prominence at the bottom of the frame. The road begins in desert sagebrush country, then rises to cross the Amargosa Range before descending, sometimes precipitously, down toward the main Death Valley.

Some things about photographing this subject are easy and obvious, but others are a bit challenging and require some attention and then some resistance to trying to turn the scene into something it isn’t. What is easy about this subject? I am endlessly fascinated by winding canyons with overlapping ridges that descend toward the bottom of the canyon, creating a back and forth weave of form. Here the canyon winds from right (at the top) to left to right to left to right to left and, finally, back to the left. And the colors and textures are remarkable, ranging from the very dark rocks at the bottom, through the much lighter slopes right above to the rather reddish rock in the far, upper portion of the canyon. What is hard about it? In many ways, it is easy to pass right through such an area and overlook what it offers, since there really is not single, central, and iconic “thing” to focus the attention. Instead, I almost have to remind myself to slow down, to stop, and to just look… and finally the way to photograph such subjects begins to reveal itself. In addition, because the color palette of this land is so subtle, including mostly pastel shades that subtly contrast with one another, it is important, I think, to resist the ever-present temptation to hype it up into something it isn’t.

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.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

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.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Southern California

Backcountry Road, Desert Mountains

2 Comments
Backcountry Road, Desert Mountains
Backcountry Road, Desert Mountains

Backcountry Road, Desert Mountains. Death Valley National Park, California. March 6, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Titus Canyon road twists through rugged desert landscape of Titanothere Canyon before climbing to its high point at Red Pass

I have driven through this desert back-country quite a few times during my visits to Death Valley National Park. This time was a bit different in two specific ways. First, in the past I have usually combined this route with an early morning shoot at a nearby location, shooting at this other location first, taking a breakfast break, and only then heading out on this drive. Consequently, I’ve always made the drive quite a bit later in the day when the light is much different – usually more hazy and with the sun higher in the sky. This time I started my day on this route, heading out just before dawn. Secondly, I made this a more leisurely passage. Sometimes in the past I have allowed myself to pass by too many portions of this region a bit too quickly, telling myself I had to move on in order to get to other things in time. This time I stopped a lot, and I often lingered at these stops for quite some time, poking around and looking for things to photograph that I might previously missed.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have sometimes found certain aspects of the desert terrain to be quite difficult to “see” as photographs. I think that the limited color palette has been one issue (often spanning the range from gray to tan!) as has the tendency for things to have a rather uniform appearance – often it is hard to find one central and prominent feature to focus on. In addition, for a photographer who has tended to work in places with water and greenery, the desert possess some different challenges. More than on some previous visits, this time I think I realized more that it is absolutely critical to slow down and adapt to the different pace and rhythms of this world. This time, rather than looking and deciding to move on, I stopped and looked some more. And as I did I began to see that there are more of the patterns and juxtapositions and forms that intrigue me than I had realized.

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.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

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.

Photographs: Abstract, Photographs: Music & Musicians, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Textures

Theatrical Landscape #1

Leave a comment
Theatrical Landscape #1
Theatrical Landscape #1

Theatrical Landscape #1. San Jose, California. January 11, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Abstract photograph based on stage rigging and theatrical lighting.

I know what I’m looking at in this photograph, but I wonder how apparent the subject is to other viewers, or if it appears completely abstract? The photograph was made backstage in the wings of a theater where I have recently been photographing a very different sort of subject. The “stuff” of the theatrical world intrigues me, and the stuff here is the rigging that is mounted high in the fly space above the stage: catwalks, lights, cables of various sorts, and much more. Intense lights were mounted very high above this backstage area, shining down through much of this other material, so I simply pointed the camera up, composed a shot that included the source of the light, and made a rather long handheld exposure, during which I intentionally moved the camera a bit.

The project that brought me to this theater is a long-term one to photograph professional musicians in situations other than just their concerts. I’m initially working with classical groups, but I may consider expanding the scope to include other sorts of music later on. While working on this project I attend a lot of concerts and rehearsals. Besides having an opportunity to photographically explore this other artistic world, I get to watch and talk with musical artists and hear a ton of wonderful music. This project is not yet at the point where I’m ready to share much of the photography, but stay tuned…

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.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

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.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Trees and Receding Red Rock Hills

Leave a comment
Trees and Receding Red Rock Hills - Sparse pines grow on low ledges in the high country red-rock sandstone, Zion National Park
Sparse pines grow on low ledges in the high country red-rock sandstone, Zion National Park

Trees and Receding Red Rock Hills. Zion National Park, Utah. October 22, 2012. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sparse pines grow on low ledges in the high country red-rock sandstone, Zion National Park

Since I’ve posted several photograph of this particular terrain, there may not be a lot more to say about it beyond summarizing some of the basics. (And, yes, there will be more of this subject – though not too many more!) Out of the main park attraction of Zion Canyon and up in the high country, instead of being in a world of vertical cliffs that tower high above, it seems like we are more within than below the terrain. We can look down into washes and slot canyons, up to see sloping mountain sides, or straight across areas filled with slabs of curving sandstone on which various trees and bushes grow.

Here I lined up some backlit trees on a near ridge with those on a further ridge, with even more sloping ridges beyond. In the afternoon haze, the rocks combine their native red color with a bit of blue that comes from atmospheric haze, emphasized by backlight. And this same backlight lights up the needles of the trees, turning them almost white in places.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

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.