Tag Archives: bench

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Lakeshore, Trees, Benches

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Lakeshore, Trees, Benches
A series of tree-covered rocky benches rises from the shore of a small subalpine lake

Lakeshore, Trees, Benches. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A series of tree-covered rocky benches rises from the shore of a small subalpine lake

As I have mentioned previously, one of the pleasures of photographing from a backcountry base camp is that it provides opportunities to get to know the landscape more intimately. I have the opportunity to revisit locations in different or better conditions, and over the course of the visit I learn more about the landscape as I explore it.

This spot is a case in point. All of us went into this general area — perhaps a 10-15 minute walk from our camp — starting near the beginning of our stay. It is a complex landscape of small lakes, cut through by granite benches, and covered with meadows and an open forest of small trees. Our first approach was by the most obvious trail, but later in the week we began to discover alternatives. One of those alternative approaches brought us to this spot, where an elevated camera position permitted a view down toward the edge of this grass-line lake and beyond to the series of rising hills covered with trees.

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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.
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Photographs: Southern California, Photographs: Urban/Street

Woman on Sunny Bench

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Woman on Sunny Bench
A woman sits on a sunny bench in winter light, Pasadena

Woman on Sunny Bench. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A woman sits on a sunny bench in winter light, Pasadena

We were in Southern California for a family event, staying in Pasadena and filling the open time with various activities — visiting other family members, looking for good places to eat, driving around, hitting a few sights, and walking around in several local communities including Pasadena.

To this Northern California native, there is something a bit strange about Southern California winter, or at least the experiences I have had with it. In my part of the state a typical winter day might be sunny or possibly rainy, with cool to cold nighttime temperatures and cool to moderate daytime temperatures. A truly warm day is a rarity, though there may be some warm hours on a day that is overall cool. But when we travel to Southern California at this time of year we often encounter weather that is actually hot. We did so on this trip, and as we walked along a Pasadena street I made this photograph of a woman in warm weather attire sitting on a bench and soaking up the sunshine… on January 6th.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

First Snow At First Light

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First Snow At First Light
Dawn light and shadows on an eastern Sierra ridge with dusting of early autumn snow.

First Snow At First Light. Eastern Sierra Nevada, California. October 5, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Dawn light and shadows on an eastern Sierra ridge with dusting of early autumn snow.

On this early October morning I had a bit of time for photography before I had to start my drive back to the Bay Area. I had a plan to visit a somewhat lonely high spot from which I might have a view of aspen groves lit by dawn light, so I was up way before sunrise. I broke camp and headed out, driving some gravel roads to get to my destination and arriving before dawn. It was cold! This was the sort of autumn morning that makes it clear the summer is over and winter is coming. When I got up it was 27 degrees, but when I arrived at my destination it was 23. I put on lots of layers, got out of my vehicle, and set up my tripod and camera.

My initial subject was to be the aspens, and I began photographing them in the soft predawn light. A few minutes later the first direct sun hit the tall ridge of the Sierra crest above me and I turned my camera in that direction. As the light swept across ridges and gullies, there was a big contrast between the extremely warm colors of the rock lit by dawn sun and the deep blue light on the snow in the ravines. A day and a half earlier the first snow of October had dusted the Sierra crest. Looked at in a particular way, this photograph appears to me as an almost abstract pattern out of which the forms of the mountain resolve themselves only when I look more closely.

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

Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Urban/Street

Sunday Morning, Washington Square

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Sunday Morning, Washington Square
People sitting on a bench and reading on Sunday morning, Washington Square

Sunday Morning, Washington Square. New York City. July 2, 2017. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

People sitting on a bench and reading on Sunday morning, Washington Square

On Sunday morning we walked uptown from our hotel, heading for a rendezvous with others. We could have taken a subway, but instead we decided to walk. Eventually we passed through part of the NYU campus and out into Washington Square. While it was morning, it was no longer particularly early by the time we got there, and park life was in full swing. There were many people everywhere, someone had a grand piano set up in a walkway for an outdoor recital, and several jazz groups were playing elsewhere in the park.

Around the edges, particularly near the northeast corner, things seemed a bit quieter, though there were still plenty of people. Here many of them were sitting quietly on benches, alone or in small groups. As we headed toward the park exit near this corner I passed this group of people quietly reading on one of the benches.

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.