Tag Archives: cathedral

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Spain

Arches and Columns

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Arches and Columns
Arches and columns in the Mosque-Cathedral, Cordoba.

Arches and Columns. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Arches and columns in the Mosque-Cathedral, Cordoba.

Yes, I am most emphatically not in the Sierra Nevada of California this summer! House-sitters engaged, tickets purchased, reservations made… and we are now three weeks into a grand adventure. (It is also a rather hot adventure, but I’ll save that story for later.) I will not post photographs all the time as we travel, as I’d rather spend the time doing the traveling than post-processing photographs. But from time to time I’ll share a few that I think might interest readers.

We just spent a few days in Cordoba, Spain, where our main goal was to visit the Mosque-Cathedral. I cannot begin to describe the site in a way that does it justice, but it is among the most remarkable places I have ever visited. The deep history it contains, and the blending of influences from Islam and Catholicism, are deeply thought-provoking. It is filled with too many beauties and connections to fully understand it in a short visit — but don’t miss the opportunity if you ever have the chance to go.

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: Northern California, Photographs: People, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Sports, Photographs: Yosemite

Climbing Rescue

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Climging Rescue
A helicopter hovers next to a cliff above climbers in Yosemite Valley.

Climbing Rescue. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A helicopter hovers next to a cliff above climbers in Yosemite Valley.

If you visit places like Yosemite often enough, the sight of helicopters doing rescue operations almost becomes a normal part of the experience. I saw this helicopter parked in a Valley meadow, surrounded by climbing rangers and crew, but I didn’t stop. Instead I went up the road a bit to photograph some spring trees. But soon I heard the thing take off and saw it rise up toward this face on the far side of the Valley, so I quickly swapped in a long lens and make a few photographs as it ferried climbers back and forth.

I’ve watched a few of these operations over my years visiting the park. We once witnessed a rescue off the top of a dome near Toulumne in electrical storm conditions, and a few years ago we got buzzed by a helicopter looking for a missing person in the backcountry. But the drama of “parking” the helicopter so close to the rock face caught my attention here. I kept thinking that it was great that there was no wind! If you look closely you can see a group of climbers on a ledge in the shaded vertical crack system near the right side of the photograph.

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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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, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Trees, Merced River, Bridal Veil Fall

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Trees, Merced River, Bridal Veil Fall
Bridal Veil Fall, beyond the Merced River and silhouetted trees.

Trees, Merced River, Bridal Veil Fall. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Bridal Veil Fall, beyond the Merced River and silhouetted trees.

Something tells me that I am not the first person to photograph this waterfall between these trees — but it was there and I was there, so I made a photograph. I like the fact that the waterfall is almost an afterthought, a minor element in a scene that is mostly about other things — especially the silhouettes of these trees and the reflections on the high water in the Merced River.

Speaking of that water… near the end of spring the water levels in Yosemite Valley were nothing short of amazing. There have been past floods when the water levels were a bit higher, but I’m not aware of a recent season when sustained water flow was this powerful or high. Everywhere meadows are flooded, rivers are nearly out of their banks, and waterfalls are roaring.

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: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Creek Crossing, Cathedral Range Panorama

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Creek Crossing, Cathedral Range Panorama
“Creek Crossing, Cathedral Range Panorama” — A backcountry trail crosses a small creek with long views of the Cathedral Range and the Sierra crest.

This photograph will be the first in a short three-post series featuring a few of my favorite backcountry locations in Yosemite National Park. This one comes from a trail that heads out of Tuolumne Meadows toward some lovely high country lakes. I’ve walked this route many times, on everything from aggressive daylong out-and-back hikes to multi-day backpacking trips.

Like almost all trails, there are moments of difficult work (like the last mile to camp!) on this route and some special, beautiful places that stick with me. This is one of the latter. After climbing through forest and past the base of some large slopes, the trail emerges into this lovely, open meadow with expansive views. The Cathedral Range and more distant Sierra crest peaks stretch across the horizon. I know this exact spot — these rocks, this bit of water, that small tree — very well. I always stop here, remove my pack, and sit for a while.

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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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