Tag Archives: bush

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

Creosote, Dunes, Desert Mountains

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Creosote, Dunes, Desert Mountains
Morning light on blooming creosote plants in the dunes, Death Valley National Park.

Creosote, Dunes, Desert Mountains. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light on blooming creosote plants in the dunes, Death Valley National Park.

While much of my recent visit to Death Valley focused on relatively out of the way locations and subjects, I did spend one night at the Stovepipe Wells campground/parking lot. (If you have been there, you understand the reference.) The idea was that sleeping there for one night would put me in the best location to photograph in the nearby dunes in the evening and again very early the next morning. This photograph comes from the morning session, not too long. before I packed my gear, headed back to my vehicle, made a quick breakfast, and drove to another of those isolated locations.

The ritual of morning photography in these dunes is familiar to me by now. I get up before sunrise so that I can arrive at the point of departure for my walk into the dunes well before the sun comes up. Getting to the locations where I like to photograph can take between 15 minutes and a half hour of walking. Once I’m in position I usually have to work somewhat quickly since the light begins to change quickly. I’ll usually photograph a bit in the soft pre-sunrise light first. Then the first direct light on the peaks to the west alerts me that the direct sun will be here soon, and I turn my attention to finding subjects to photograph in the moments when the light/shadow boundary moves through the scene. I made this photograph considerably later, just as the increasingly bright light was a about to begin washing out the subtle early colors.

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dormant

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Dormant
Deep in a desert canyon, a dormant plant waits for moisture.

Dormant. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Deep in a desert canyon, a dormant plant waits for moisture.

This plant grows in a very unlikely place — in a small crack in the rock face of a canyon wall in a deep wash where there is usually no water at all. No doubt it produced this now-dormant lush growth during a brief wet period when, like so many desert plants, it took advantage of a short interval when moisture was relatively abundant. And now, somewhere under all of these dried up branches and leaves, the heart of the plant waits for the next rain.

By the way, I don’t mind at all if you want to look for analogies to the current societal conditions of social distancing, of putting life on hold, of managing to exist in a dark place, waiting for better conditions to return. Feel free!

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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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.

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

Creosote, Dunes, Shadows

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Creosote, Dunes, Shadows
A clump of creosote among dunes shadowed by early morning light.

Creosote, Dunes, Shadows. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A clump of creosote among dunes shadowed by early morning light.

This photograph comes from nearly one year ago on the 2019 edition of my annual early spring visits to Death Valley National Park. (There will be no spring visit this year, what with shelter-in-place orders and so forth — fortunately I was there in January.) The late March and early April time frame is often ideal for wildflowers and for splitting the difference between winter cold and the unbearable heat that arrives in spring. Is there a downside? Yes. Lots of other people seem to have the same idea, and the number increases every year.

The sand dunes are an unending source of photographic opportunities. I prefer to photograph them either very early in the morning or during the sunset to early dusk time periods, when the light goes through remarkable transitions. My favorites include the subtly colored dusk hours and the moments of first/last direct sun, when the light is warmly colored and there are transitory shadows. I usually steer clear of the most popular ares of the dunes, generally finding more interesting things out along their boundaries.

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 | Facebook | Email

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.

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

Rhododendron Bloom, Redwood Forest

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Rhododendron Bloom, Rredwood Forest
A rhododendron tree full of flowers, Redwood National Park

Rhododendron Bloom, Redwood Forest. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A rhododendron tree full of flowers, Redwood National Park.

Redwood forests are wondrous places at any time, but when the rhododendron plants blossom they are even more magical. The redwood forest is a quite dark and quiet place, and the colors are almost uniformly muted greens and browns, with an overall bluish quality to the shaded light. Against that background the rhododendrons provide a remarkable contrast. One flower can be enough, but a tree full of them is even more special.

The rhododendrons are a new part of my photography, so I’m still learning a lot about them — where and when to find them, the best ways to photograph them, how their growth varies. The “season” is said to be a bit unpredictable, with some saying it can be at its peak in May and others suggesting June. My experience so far suggests that later may be better, and I’ve had my best luck a week or so into June.

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 | Facebook | Email

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

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