Tag Archives: california

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

Crater Wall Detail

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Crater Wall Detail
“Crater Wall Detail” — Eroded strata of a Death Valley crater wall.

We re-visited this location in Death Valley at the recommendation of a friend. I have photographed here before but was never particularly inspired by the subject. We arrived late in the day, and almost didn’t get there in time for decent light… because we stopped before we got there when I was distracted by another subject.

We showed up just as the sun was dropping behind high ridges to the west, and clouds were further softening the light. That soft light is often good for a subject like this. For one thing it makes the subject less harsh. For another it reduces the contrast between highlights and shadows and opens up those shadows a bit.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Wildlife

Great Egret Portrait (horizontal)

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Great Egret Portrait (horizontal)
“Great Egret Portrait (horizontal)” — A “head shot” of a great egret.

I have been meaning to share this critter’s head shot for a while. It is a great egret, a bird whose presence in nature is announced by its large size, its long neck, and its striking white plumage. Quite a few of them were around when I visited one of my bird photography haunts in California’s Central Valley.

This one was less bothered by my presence than some. I wasn’t as close as it may appear — I was using a long telephoto lens. But still, egrets have boundaries, and if you cross them they will quickly fly away. But this one stuck around, and even paused in the soft, cloudy light.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

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

Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose

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Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose Plant
“Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose” — Brown-eyed evening primrose plant growing on dry mud.

Our late-February visit to Death Valley mostly focused on two subjects — Lake Manly and the wildflower bloom. At first I thought we might forego visiting the dunes at all on this trip, but on our last morning we decided to make an early-morning stop before we headed out of the park.

We arrived quite early — too early, actually. It was still dark when we got there, so we took our time getting our gear together before walking out into a quiet section of the dunes. The ight conditions were not promising, as the sky was rather overcast. While that wasn’t great for photographing the dunes themselves, the soft light was good for photographing small plants and other intimate subjects, like this brown-eyed evening primrose plant.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Observation Deck, Evening

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Observation Deck, Evening
“Observation Deck, Evening” — The day’s last sunlight on an observation deck and trees.

This is a place I visit frequently, to the point that some individual trees start to feel like old friends. Among these trees there is a small observation platform, placed there for people who wish to view birds in the nearby ponds. I have stood on the platform many times!

I would not usually photograph this scene — though I have done so in thick fog on a few occasions. But on this evening the scene was a bit special. The warm late-day light was part of it, and the reflection was clear in the unusually still water.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.