Tag Archives: blue

Scaffolding Detail, Manhattan

Scaffolding Detail, Manhattan
Scaffolding supports against a dark wall, Mahnattan.

Scaffolding Detail, Manhattan. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Scaffolding supports against a dark wall, Manhattan.

Some who know me as a “landscape” or “nature” photographer might be surprised to hear that I love photographing in the urban environment, particularly doing street photography and looking for interesting bits a pieces of the city world. Manhattan is among the most fascinating places to photograph — there’s constant action and a density of people and subjects that is rarely equalled.

On the final morning of my recent visit I had time before heading to the airport to do one more quick walk in the area just below Central Park. Among other subjects I found the ever-present construction scaffolding above sidewalks. These structures are ostensibly there to protect pedestrians from overhead work, but one New Yorker explained to me that sometimes they are simply left up since that is easier than paying to stow them!


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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Blue Dicks Flower

Blue Dicks Flower
A spring blue dicks wildflower in bloom.

Blue Dicks Flower. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A spring blue dicks wildflower in bloom.

The blue dicks flowers are ubiquitous around here in the springtime, often growing in or at the edge of grasslands. It is an attractive flower (or group of flowers, more likely) waving at the top of a long, slender stalk. I look forward to their appearance every year, and I always end up making a few new photographs of them — despite the fact that the long stem makes them move in the slightest breeze, making photography a challenge.

The obvious question, of course, is “Where did that name come from?” I wondered for quite a while, too. According to one source, “he least suggestive explanation is that “dick” is a shortened form of the genus name Dichelostemma.” There are some other, potentially racier, explanations, but I think I’ll stick with this one.


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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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Twisting Desert Canyon

Twisting Desert Canyon
A deep desert canyon winds between tall cliffs, Death Valley National Park.

Twisting Desert Canyon. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A deep desert canyon winds between tall cliffs, Death Valley National Park.

In a recent post I mentioned that I had finished sharing photographs from my January visit to Death Valley. What I did not mention was that we were heading back in late March to make more photographs. With this post I begin sharing photographs from this second trip. Death Valley is never the same twice, and on this visit we encountered rain, snow, high winds, and much more. In fact, our visit to this canyon was partially intended to avoid the winds sweeping through the valley that day.

I am making an exception to my policy of usually not naming specific locations: this is from Titus Canyon. A long, popular, and quite remarkable road traverses this route, starting in Nevada, climbing through high mountains, then descending a deep canyon to emerge in Death Valley. Last year’s historical rainfall damaged the road, and the only access is now by hiking. I write “damaged,” but the truth is that, at least in the lower canyon that we visited, the road was actually “obliterated.” There are literally no traces of it at all. It was a rare treat to experience this canyon as it must have been before automobiles.


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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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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Two Cranes, Blue Sky

Two Cranes, Blue Sky
Two sandhill cranes in flight against blue winter sky.

Two Cranes, Blue Sky. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Two sandhill cranes in flight against blue winter sky.

Two sandhill cranes fly against late-winter blue sky, a few weeks before their annual migration takes them back to the arctic. My “season” for photographing migratory birds in Central California lasts from roughly November into early March, spanning the time from the first arrival of geese to their departure, along with that of the cranes. This photograph comes from what will likely be my last such photographs of the season.

It is not easy to get photographs of cranes flying nearly overhead. They often change their course as they approach in order to avoid flying over me. But with some luck and abundant patience, eventually some of them will come close enough, as this pair did.


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 | Twitter | Flickr | FacebookEmail

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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