Tag Archives: boulders

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

Juniper and Red Rock Cliff

January 25, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A solitary juniper tree grows at the base of a Utah red rock cliff

This being Utah, it represents a place that will likely be in need to attention and support from all of us who love our shared national lands, in opposition to those who would privatize them for purposes of extractive industry, damn the consequences. The photograph comes from an autumn visit to Southern Utah nearly five years ago, when I joined a group of fellow photographers to explore areas from Capitol Reef to Zion and points in between. This is, as many of you know, stunningly beautiful country, particularly if you get off the main roads a bit and poke around in odd washes and canyons and remote routes.

This lovely juniper tree grows at the base of a sculpted sand stone face that is marked by all sort of veins, weathering, and water stains. The tree grows from what appears to be nearly solid rock, likely finding sustenance on whatever debris has filled a crack at the base of the cliff over the years. The colors of this part of the world area simply extraordinary, with the base being the infinite shades of sandstone color, bathed in everything from direct sun to light that has become saturated by bouncing its way among the colorful walls until it reaches the depths of narrow canyons.

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

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Small Aspens, Boulders

September 26, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Early autumn color comes to small aspen trees among Eastern Sierra Nevada boulders

There are many ways to “see” aspens, especially during the season when they briefly take on their transitional fall colors. Whole slopes filled with masses of their color are always an impressive sight. Larger views in which the aspens appear scattered within the landscape produce a different effect. The shapes of the white trunks might be the subject. We can move in close and focus on branches or even individual leaves. In some cases, the trees can act as a foil to other elements of the mountain landscape — conifer trees, the sky, flowing water. In this case, the color is, I think, a foil to the shapes, colors, and textures of granite boulders.

I made this photograph quite early in the Sierra color season, when the first trees were changing — somewhat earlier than usual this year, or so it seemed. While the largest trees were still nearly uniformly green, smaller trees and those growing in more marginal dry and rock areas were already taking on fall color. These trees are small, growing among rocks, and comprise just a few trees growing in an area that is mostly filled with conifers. In some ways, this makes their coloration even more striking than if they had been simply two trees among hundreds of aspens.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Foothills, Winter Grass

July 26, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Winter grasses and wildflowers come to life among trees and boulders in the Sierra Nevada foothills

Returning from a few days in Yosemite Valley early this year — we were there for the opening of the annual Yosemite Renaissance exhibit — we looped somewhat lazily through Sierra foothill terrain on our way home. Since the plan was to arrive at a Central Valley bird refuge before sunset, we had most of the day to poke around and make photographs.

Late winter in California is the greenest time of year. When people visit the state during summer and remark on the golden brown hills, I always want to say, “You should have been here a few months ago!” This is the impossibly green season, when enough rain has fallen to get the grasses to take root and cover these hills, followed quickly by the appearance of wildflowers.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Barren Slopes

July 22, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Boulders scattered across the slopes of a rocky desert landscape

This bit of landscape is a familiar one for me. An odd hill stands in the middle of mostly level playa and near drifting sand — the hill is composed of a different and darker material and is in other ways not like the surroundings. A number of years ago I discovered that place provides some panoramic views of surrounding terrain that stretch off into the distance, and I often go there early in the morning or in the evening to photograph when conditions seem right.

On this evening I did go there, but decided to wander along its flank rather than go to the top. At the base of the western slopes the rugged and rocky terrain faced the sunset sky, muted by high clouds, and presented a series of shallow valleys leading off into the distance, punctuated by boulders.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: boulders

Juniper and Red Rock Cliff

Small Aspens, Boulders

Foothills, Winter Grass

Barren Slopes

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.