Tag Archives: california

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Shoreline and Trees, Morning

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Shoreline and Trees, Morning
“Shoreline and Trees, Morning” — Warm morning backlight on trees along the shore of a subalpine Sierra Nevada lake.

This will be one of (but perhaps not quite the) last photographs I’ll share for now from my July backpack trip. A group of us went into the Eastern Sierra Nevada just outside of the northeast boundary of Yosemite National Park. sWe did a low-mileage four-day trip, which left me with plenty of morning and evening time for photography. But even with two mornings and two evenings in this particular spot I didn’t have all of the time that I could have used.

I have visited this area many times over the years, so I had some ideas about what I might photograph. This raised shoreline area, located between the lake and large meadow below it, was on my short list. I got distracted by other subjects on the first morning and missed the brief moment of ideal light when the shoreline is highlighted and the background remains in shadow. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again on the second morning, so I was there and ready when the light arrived.

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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: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Two Ibises

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Two Ibises
“Two Ibises” — Two white-faced ibises browsing at the edge of a wetland pond.

This photograph qualifies as one of the first of my 2025-26 fall/winter migratory bird photography. In truth, this subject was a bit of an afterthought — I simply detoured past this location on my way to Yosemite to photograph fall color at the end of October. I did not really expect to see too many birds, but I found plentiful Ibises and egrets.

Ibis plumage is quite something. In flat lighting, the birds can seem almost black. But when the light is just right, the birds’ plumage becomes iridescent, incorporating all sorts of colors: red, yellow. green, maroon. The transformation can be astonishing.

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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: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature

Autumn Forest, Fog

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Autumn Forest, Fog
“Autumn Forest, Fog” — Autumn fog drifts through a forest in California coastal hills.

Recently it has been very foggy across great swaths of the California landscape. Tule (or radiation) fog has turned the Central Valley cold and gray for weeks. At times the fog has spilled through the delta and over mountain passes into the San Francisco Bay Area. On one such day I decided to head to nearby woods to see what I could photograph.

I ended up on a narrow road heading into the hills, a road that I have known for decades — though I don’t believe I have ever photographed there before. At the head of a narrow canyon, just before the road ascended steeply to rise above the fog, I stopped to photograph this autumn scene. A few trees leaned this way and that, fog muted the light, and autumn leaves were everywhere.

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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

Dormant Wetlands Plants

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Dormant Wetlands Plants
“Dormant Wetlands Plants” — Dormant and dried wetlands plants reflected in the still water of a quiet pond.

My first “real” visit of the season to my favorite migratory bird photography location did not go as planned. (Actually, I did stop briefly a month ago and a half earlier, but things were still slow back then.) I was hoping for luminous tule fog and lots of geese and sandhill cranes. Instead I got thick gray elevated overcast and fewer birds than expected. Ah, well, it happens… and when it does I look for something else to photograph.

This is one of the “something else” photographs. This area is full of shallow seasonal ponds, and when they fill the summer’s plants still emerge from the still water and make fascinating reflections. For this subject the very soft light from the overcast worked well and revealed a more of the plants’ details.

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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.