Tag Archives: blue

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Wetlands, Winter Sunset

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Wetlands, Winter Sunset, California's Central Valley
“Wetlands, Winter Sunset” — Sunset beyond Central Valley wetlands on a winter evening.

This was just about the final photograph I made on this past New Year’s Day. We had actually started the previous afternoon, come back before dawn, and worked the subject all day long. We photographed the landscape and thousands of migratory birds. As the day drew to a close I found a location with a view of the sunset sky reflected in the surface of nearby pond.

While this is mainly a landscape photograph, if you look very closely you may be able to to spot a group of (most likely) snow geese on the water. Many of their partners had already flow away for the evening, but this final group stuck around bit longer.

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” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Old Tree at Dawn

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And old wetlands tree at dawn
“Old Tree at Dawn” — An old wetlands tree silhouetted against winter dawn sky and dissipating fog.

This may be the last in the string of photographs from my three days in the Central Valley landscape around New Year’s Day. But no promises — there could be more if I dig back into the raw file archives from that trip. Funny story: When I return from shoots like that I often fear that I didn’t come back with much interesting work. But then, after I start digging into the material, I inevitably find quite a bit of work that I like. I have some theories about why this happens, and at some point I’ll expand on them.

This was a really beautiful morning. Pre-dawn tule fog was not too thick – just present enough to soften the atmosphere. High clouds picked up the colors of the coming sunrise. This old tree sits on the edge of a wetlands pond, and I’ve grown to like it as I’ve photographed it over the years. This time I used a wide angle lens so that I could place it more clearly in the context of the larger landscape and skyscape.

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” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
Articles | Sales | Sierra Nevada Fall Color | Contact Info

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, First Light

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Wetlands, First Light
“Wetlands, First Light” — Dawn sky and thinning tule fog above a reflecting wetlands pond.

Yes, I’m still working the winter Central Valley photographs — and I’m not done yet! As I have said many times, this is probably my favorite winter subject. Or perhaps I should write “subjects,” since these locations offer both landscape and wildlife photography subjects at this time of year. Although they are not featured in this photograph, this is a prime part of California for winter migratory birds.

You can never predict with certainty what the fog will do on these winter mornings. The surprise this time was a “hole” that opened in the fog, producing clear skies in our little area while our surroundings were still obscured. This photograph looks east, across a pond and the fog bank, toward the first dawn light above the Sierra Nevada.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Trees, Dawn Sky

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“Winter Trees, Dawn Sky” — Bare winter trees silhouetted against a foggy dawn sky.

The large tree in this scene has been the subject of at least one other recently-shared photograph of mine. The earlier image focused almost exclusively on the tree. It was shot with a longer focal length, and the tree nearly fills the frame. Here I used a wide angle lens and worked from a distance, showing the tree it the context of its landscape surroundings.

This was a lovely morning at this Central Valley location. Thick pre-dawn tule fog began to drift and thin at first light, revealing muted views of the landscape. The fog was shallow, and overhead the sky was streaked with lines of clouds catching the first colorful light of the new day.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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