Tag Archives: california

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Spring Flowers, Mountains, And Clearing Fog

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Spring Flowers, Mountains, And Clearing Fog
Morning fog dissipates above wildflower-covered California hills.

Spring Flowers, Mountains, And Clearing Fog. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning fog dissipates above wildflower-covered California hills.

On this Easter Sunday morning, here in the San Francisco Bay Area it is gray and gloomy, with drizzle falling. I have just returned from my morning “socially-distance” walk around the neighborhood, and few people are to be seen. Normally I like weather like this, but today it reminded me how much life has changed in the past month, and that it will likely not return to the old normal for quite a while. Returning home, I decided to engage in a bit more “virtual spring” escapism and share this photograph.

At about this time a year ago I was out and about. I spent some time in this area on my way to Death Valley, and I made a second, shorter trip, too. On this morning I took a drive down a wide flower-filled valley between hills as morning fog cleared, stopping whenever and wherever I felt like it, enjoying the sun’s warmth, and making photographs.

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

Sand and Shadows

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Sand and Shadows
Sand dunes and shadows from early morning sun.

Sand and Shadows. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sand dunes and shadows from early morning sun.

Sand dunes are the photographer’s playground, with a seemingly infinite range of shapes and lines and ever-changing light. They can be photographed on any scale, from the largest landscape down to tiny elements like flowers or the tracks of animals. No matter how often you have visited a particular set of dunes — and I’ve been to these scores of times — there is always something new to see.

Because of the relatively early hour of the day, when shadows are everywhere but changing quickly, it is likely that I made this photograph quickly. During the first and last few minutes of the day, the light changes so quickly that one often must work fast and complete a photograph before the light changes and the shadows move.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Dawn Fog, California Hills

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Dawn Fog, California Hills
Sunrise fog drifts across springtime California hills under overcast skies.

Dawn Fog, California Hills. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunrise fog drifts across springtime California hills under overcast skies.

The fact that I’m unable to be in the field making new photographs right now is a good reminder that photography is more than taking a camera into the field to find and capture subjects. There is a lot that happens before the exposure — perhaps years of accumulated experience with subjects and how they might be photographs. And there is a lot that happens after the exposure — review, selection, experimentation, carrying out the plan for images that I had in mind when I made the exposures, and more. For now I’m living photographically mostly in that post-exposure world.

I photographed this scene on a memorable morning last spring in a remote area of California hills. I was there to photograph flowers, but this lovely morning of fog and soft dawn light distracted me. It was one of those wonderful unexpected moments in photography that reminded me of how much serendipity is involved in this endeavor.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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

Between The Curves

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Between The Curves
“Between The Curves” — Two large freeway overpasses cut through downtown San Francisco.

San Francisco is not far from where I live — less than an hour’s drive in good traffic (and three times that in really bad!) or a one-hour express train ride. When I have a day free I like to head up there on the train early in the morning and then explore, photographing as I go. San Francisco is a very walkable city, and I have a great choice of routes when I get off the train — I can head south to the an area with tons of new development, walk along the waterfront, go west toward an older (still somewhat) industrial area, or go north and head straight into the center of the downtown district.

I took the latter path on this day back in 2019, cross-crossing on east-west routes from time to time. Frequently when I come into The City by car I travel along the freeway route that mostly flies overhead, leaving only longer views. From underneath the City looks a lot different! I chose this view partly because I like the concept of the dark forms cutting off the view, but also because I was intrigued by the curving shape of the opening between the two overpasses.

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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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