Tag Archives: california

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Dogwood Tree

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Dogwood Tree
A dogwood tree in full spr9ing bloom.

Dogwood Tree. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A dogwood tree in full spring bloom.

This dogwood tree was a complete surprise to us. We had gone to this San Francisco Bay Area location to enjoy an evening event and then stroll the large gardens. We knew there were dogwood trees at this place because we had photographed them elsewhere on the grounds. But we thought that the dogwood show had ended, and in fact there were almost no flowers left on the trees we knew about. But here was this remarkable specimen with thick beautiful flowers tinged with color.

It is funny sometimes to recognize how my preconceptions change with experience. This year that happened with dogwood trees. “My dogwoods” are the trees in Yosemite Valley and along some of the approaches to the park. I’ve photographed them every year for a long time, and it barely crossed my mind that there might be dogwood trees elsewhere or that there might be other types. My first strong hint this spring was on a rainy weekend in Manhattan, of all places, where I found beautiful blooming dogwoods in Central Park. The next surprise was this tree, perhaps thicker with flowers than any I have seen before.

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: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Beneath the Blooming Dogwood

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Beneath the Blooming Dogwood
Light glows through the blossoms and leaves of a spring dogwood tree.

Beneath the Blooming Dogwood. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Looking upwards toward dense spring dogwood flowers.

Over a month ago I shared a photograph of a blooming dogwood tree in Manhattan’s Central Park. In that post I alluded to the fact that this was not likely to be quite my typical year for photographing this kind of tree. Typically I would make a spring visit to Yosemite Valley and other nearby areas to photograph this annual event, but it looked like I wouldn’t this time. But surprises arrive, and a few weeks later I did find myself in Yosemite with camera next to flowering dogwoods. But the surprises weren’t over, and later I photographed these blossoms in a San Francisco Bay Area location.

There’s a beautiful public garden on the San Francisco Peninsula where we go regularly to photograph. We started much earlier this season, and we had seen dogwood trees there — though I didn’t photograph them much. We went back much later, at the end of spring, and we were surprised to find new dogwood blooms in this place where we had thought they were spent.

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 | 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: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Fallen Flowers

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Fallen Flowers
Five fallen foxglove flowers.

Fallen Flowers. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Five fallen foxglove flowers.

We went to this public garden because we knew that it was the time of the peak bloom of many flowers, including the colorful foxglove. And our timing was perfect — there were lots and lots of these impressive flowers, in all colors. “But wait,” you ask, “where are those colors?” Oh, right, this one is black and white. I’ll address that below.

While flower photography isn’t my main thing (though you might start to wonder, based on my predominant theme for July posts this year) , I have long been intrigued by the shapes and colors of flowers. Originally I photographed wildflowers on outdoor adventures, but more recently Patty has convinced me of the appeal of domesticated varieties. But I have a habit of usually looking past the intended subject to see what else there is, and this often leads me to photographing “fallen flowers” that are past their prime and perhaps deteriorating. This alliterative grouping of five fallen foxglove flowers is just as I found them, lying in the shade under trees on a sidewalk.

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 | 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: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Up The Stairs

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Up The Stairs
“Up The Stairs” — A woman pauses at the bottom of a staircase, San Francisco.

This was one of those unexpected opportunities that make me operate on pure instinct, with almost no time to carefully think about what I’m doing. I saw the staircase in this fascinating light because we were at this concert hall in the daytime instead of at nighttime. I quickly whipped out the iPhone and framed a shot of the stairs. The masked woman — whose presence makes this a very different photograph than it might have been — was completely serendipitous.

We sometimes dismiss iPhone photography as not being serious. Well, some people do — but more and more folks recognize that it has its place. I wouldn’t normally carry a “real camera” to a symphony concert, but I do almost always have the phone. In this situation I was able to deploy it quickly, make a few adjustments, and capture a raw image that otherwise would have escaped.

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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

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