Tag Archives: california

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Fletcher Lake Shoreline, Morning

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Fletcher Lake Shoreline, Morning

Fletcher Lake Shoreline, Morning. Yosemite National Park, California. September 7, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light on the shoreline of Fletcher Lake in the Yosemite National Park backcountry near the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.

Yet another in the series of photographs of Fletcher Lake on an early September morning as the sun was just rising above the shoulder of Fletcher Peak. This cove is at the upper end of the lake near the inlet stream flowing down from Townsley Lake.

keywords: fletcher, lake, vogelsang, high, sierra, camp, nevada, wilderness, backpack, hike, camp, morning, light, tree, forest, meadow, grass, shore, rock, boulder, talus, water, reflection, brush, bush, yosemite, national park, california, usa, landscape, scenic, travel, outdoor, stock, nature

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Pelican in Flight, Sunset

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Pelican in Flight, Sunset

Pelican in Flight, Sunset. Pacific Coast, California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A solitary pelican in flight at sunset over the Pacific Ocean coastline of California.

Yet another in the pelican series I shot along the California coast north of Santa Cruz on a September evening earlier this year. The glow of the sun on back of the pelican’s head and the light shining through its wings intrigue me, along with the very faint dividing line between the pastels shades of the ocean and the sky in the background.

To find out a bit more about where and how I made this series of photographs, take a look at yesterday’s post.

keywords: pelican, bird, sea, shore, pacific, ocean, coast, wildlife, nature, flight, fly, wings, california, usa, highway, one, evening, sunset, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Two Pelicans, Sunset

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Two Pelicans, Sunset

Two Pelicans, Sunset. Pacific Coast, California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two pelicans fly above the Pacific Ocean along the California coast at sunset.

I’ve posted photos from this set before, but since it has been a while I’ll share the story again. I had taken by son over to Santa Cruz, where he goes to school, and we decided to drive north up the coast in the early evening and look for photo opportunities. Although this section of the coast is always interesting, on this evening the first few places we stopped just didn’t present any obvious photographic opportunities. Finally I decided to just head for a roadside turnout that I had visited before. It is located right at the edge of the steep bluffs above the ocean, and large sea birds often fly right along the edge, apparently catching the updraft from the wind coming in off the ocean. You can see the birds coming for hundreds of yards in either direction, track them as the approach, and if you are lucky they will pass by mere feet from your position.

Making this setting more interesting and/or more challenging on this evening, the sun was setting behind a bit of off-shore fog – and as I panned to follow the birds the exposure went from fairly normal light on either side of my position to the intensely colorful and very bright light coming through the fog when I was aiming directly out to see as in this photo.

Yes, it really was this color.

keywords: pelican, two, bird, wildlife, fly, wing, sunset, fog, orange, gold, ocean, pacific, coast, light, highway, one, scenic, travel, flight, california, usa, davenport

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Half Dome, Sunset – Olmsted Point

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Half Dome, Sunset - Olmsted Point

Half Dome, Sunset – Olmsted Point. Yosemite National Park, California. September 8, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunset light on Half Dome as viewed from Olmsted Point along the Tioga Pass Road.

Sometimes I can’t help myself and I have to stop for this classic view when driving back from the Sierra via Tioga Pass Road. I drive past this spot at least a dozen times each season, so I’ve perhaps become a bit jaded – and I’ll only stop when the light seems extra special.

Here the very late light is illuminating Half Dome while the lower canyons have fallen into deep shadows on this late summer evening.

keywords: half dome, olmsted, point, tioga, pass, road, yosemite, national park, evening, sunset, alpenglow, tenaya, canyon, valley, ridge, mountain, peak, scenic, travel, landscape, forest, sierra, nevada, california, usa, stock