Tag Archives: bank

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

Beach, Mouth of Little Sur River

Image Leave a comment
Beach, Mouth of Little Sur River
Cloud shadows on water as fog dissipates above Point Sur and beaches near the outlet of the Little Sur River

Beach, Mouth of Little Sur River. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Cloud shadows on water as fog dissipates above Point Sur and beaches near the outlet of the Little Sur River

In many locations along the Big Sur coast on this mid-summer morning, the fog was breaking up as I drove south from the Monterey area, heading for the newly reopened section of the Pacific Coast Highway near the small town of Gorda. I stopped as I came to this familiar sight — a place where the road descends and provides a series of evolving views of the beaches near the mouth of the Little Sur River near Point Sur.

As the clouds begin to thin, alternating bands of light and shadow move across the landscape, and from moment to moment this changes to scene. I tried to time this photograph for a moment when key features of the landscape were illuminated — the curving beach, sections of the shallow ocean, and some of the more distant headlands.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

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 and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

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

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Redwood National & State Parks

Ferns, Creek, And Forest

Leave a comment
Ferns, Creek, And Forest
Ferns growing along the banks of a redwood forest creek.

Ferns, Creek, And Forest. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Ferns growing along the banks of a redwood forest creek.

One of my goals on this trip to the Redwood National And State Parks region was scouting. I often arrive at a new location — and this are was new to me — without doing a whole lot of advance research. This means that I’ll engage in a bit of semi-blind wandering at first, but it also means that I get the thrill of discovery instead of going just to well-known spots. I knew that Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park was supposed to have rhododendron blooms and, of course, redwoods, but I wasn’t quite sure where to look. So I poked around a bit.

The first “poking” was unsuccessful, and I ended up at a locked gate on a gravel road. I could have walked further, but on this first visit I wanted to cover more ground than walking would allow, so I back down the road and wound around to the other side of this park. Before long I did find redwood groves with blooming rhododendrons, and I spent a bit of time photographing there in morning light. As the sun rose higher the light was less agreeable, so I began exploring again, eventually ending up at another dead-end road. This time I loaded up my pack and started walking, eventually arriving at a beautiful old-growth redwood grove. I passed this little vignette of creek, ferns, and light along the way.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

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 and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

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

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

Winter Trees

Leave a comment
Winter Trees
Bare winter trees alongside the Merced River

Winter Trees. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Bare winter trees alongside the Merced River

There is a, obviously, a lot to see in Yosemite Valley and the rest of this famous national park. Many of the iconic sights are well-known and there is little question why. (As someone said, “They are icons for a reason!”) We all love those familiar domes and cliffs and waterfalls, and we all photograph them. But eventually, after spending quite a bit of time in this place, it is easy to see that there are plenty of other things worth looking for in the Valley and beyond.

Most people are familiar with these scenes in spring and summer, and the ideal includes lots of greenery, perhaps some colorful wildflowers, flowing rivers and waterfalls. But those conditions account for only a small portion of the year here, and especially in late fall and winter you are more likely to find dormant meadows, leafless deciduous trees, rain or snow, and very different light. These trees grow in a location that in spring and summer is noted for green meadows, a flowing river, and sun and warmth When I photographed it this time it was very cold, at the end of a winter day, and thin light was coming through high clouds and softly lighting the bare trunks and branches of these trees.

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 and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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

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

Riverbank Trees, Winter Light

Leave a comment
Riverbank Trees, Winter Light
Bare winter trees along the Merced River, Yosemite Valley

Riverbank Trees, Winter Light. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Bare winter trees along the Merced River, Yosemite Valley

There are many interesting things in Yosemite Valley. (“Duh!,” right?) The big, iconic features are well-known, but wander away from those a bit and you are bound to find more things worth exploring — trails, bends in the river, groves of trees, meadows, boulders, views of less-known cliffs, hidden seasonal waterfalls, and even historical human structures. Wander in the right directions at the right times and you may even find something approaching solitude in this busy place. (You’ll increase the odds if you do your wandering at times other than the summer tourist season.)

This photograph only required a small bit of wandering, since the walk to this spot is quite short. One of may photography habits in the Valley is to seek out “edges” — where shadow and light meet. These places produce all kinds of wonderful effects, including the possibility of somewhat subdued light and the opportunity to place brightly lit subjects against darker backgrounds. These trees provided such an opportunity, as the long shadows of cliffs along the north side of the Valley were growing across the Valley floor, leaving the riverside trees in low, late-afternoon sun while the background subjects had already fallen into shadows. The stark winter light, nearly devoid of color, produced an almost monochromatic scene with only subtle hints of color.

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 and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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