Tag Archives: clearing

Fog-Shrouded Trees and Ridges, Yosemite Valley

Fog-Shrouded Trees and Ridges, Yosemite Valley
Fog-Shrouded Trees and Ridges, Yosemite Valley

Fog-Shrouded Trees and Ridges, Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. October 30, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

As an autumn storm begins to clear, fog and mist swirls among trees and ridges along the rim of Yosemite Valley.

After a few days of gaudy fall color, I am returning briefly to non-gaudy fall black and white! This is another – and perhaps the last for a while – in the series of misty and cloudy photographs from my visit to Yosemite in late October as a fall storm was passing over the Valley. I was happy when I saw that my planned visit would coincide with a storm, since I love shooting the Valley in the fall in cloudy and wet conditions. As much as I enjoy the beautiful and wam late-summer days, I find the “bad” weather a lot more interesting photographically. The Valley did not disappoint during this visit – I had light rain, clouds ringing the valley, fog both on the Valley floor and among the ridges and trees along the rim, and even some cloud-filtered sunlight.

The subject of this photograph could be any of what seems like an infinite number of scenes of cliffs and ridges and trees along the upper walls of the Valley. The specific spot isn’t important, though it was just to the west of Glacier Point. At times the clouds almost completely obscured the cliff and trees, but as they moved across the face they would periodically clear enough to make bits of the scene momentarily visible. This was another of those situations in which the landscape was emphatically not static – instead it was in a constant state of flux, and it required close and constant attention to catch the photographable moments.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Oaks and Hills, Winter Fog

Oaks and Hills, Winter Fog
Oaks and Hills, Winter Fog

Oaks and Hills, Winter Fog. Calero Hills, California. January 9, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Winter morning fog clears over northern California hills and oak forest.

When it comes to photography, there is a long list of subjects that I cannot resist. Included on this list are: morning sunshine across the shoulder of a grassy hill, oak trees, clearing, high clouds from an approaching weather front, hills receding into the haze-shrouded distance, stacked diagonal forms, a bit of a trail. This is, of course, a list that corresponds pretty much to what is found in this scene.

I was out hiking in my “photographic backyard” in the Calero hills on this early-January morning. I initially went out looking for fog, and I found that in abundance earlier in the morning when I photographed a solitary oak tree in a fog covered valley. Soon, however, the fog began to hold light that suggested clearing above, so I headed up a trail to a nearby ridge that commands a good view of surrounding oak-filled valleys and ridges. When I arrived there the fog was still quite thick, but I felt it would soon start to clear so I went ahead and unpacked my gear and set up my tripod… and waited. Soon I was rewarded with this scene to my south, mostly backlit by the morning sun as the fog washed in and out of the valleys and finally the sun became bright enough to light this foreground ridge and cast shadows from the oak trees.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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keywords: california, usa, landscape, winter, stock, calero, county, park, santa clara, tree, oak, fog, mist, cloud, grass, nature, oak, forest, grove, meadow, trail, grass, silhouette, ridge, mountain, haze, atmosphere, recession, light, clearing, bush, valley, hike

Basin Mountain, Morning Light

Basin Mountain, Morning Light

Basin Mountain, Morning Light. Sierra Nevada, California. October 3, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early morning light with clearing clouds above Basin Mountain and the Sierra Crest near the high desert of the Buttermilks, Sierra Nevada, California.

I awoke well before dawn in Bishop on this early October morning with intentions of being at a location such as North Lake for dawn, but as I ascended the road into the Sierra from Bishop I was distracted by impressive cloud formations over the Sierra crest around Basin Mountain and the peaks of the crest. I spontaneously made a change in plans and turned off the main road towards the Buttermilks to see if I could find a place to photograph this scene before it all ended.

There is a small “village” up Starlite Road from 168, and a gravel road continues beyond it. This road soon took me to the top of a small hill before a big drop-off and once I spotted the way the peaks lined up and the location of the trees I decided to stop here, set up, and be ready to shoot dawn light.

While the light itself seems quite interesting, one of the most unusual features is seen in the shape of the clouds above the crest – they almost trace the rough outline of the high peaks.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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keywords: basin, mountain, sierra, nevada, crest, range, peak, ridge, escarpment, morning, dawn, early, light, glow, alpenglow, buttermilk, country, hills, high, desert, pink, cloud, pattern, lenticular, sunrise, trees, rocks, sage, sky, blue, clearing, weather, california, usa, bishop, starlite, tree, forest, slope, landscape, stock, owens, valley

Clearing Storm, Carson Peak and Grant Lake

Clearning Storm, Carson Peak and Grant Lake

Clearing Storm, Carson Peak and Grant Lake. June Lakes Loop, California. June 7, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A late spring storm clears from the summit of Carson Peak above Grant Lake along the June Lakes Loop, California.

I’ll start by saying that I hope I have identified this peak correctly. I did not know its name when I made the photograph, and I think I’ve lined it up with the other geographic features on my map correctly – but if any one has a different ID on this peak please let me know.

I came to Grant Lake (which is actually, and obviously, a reservoir) from the back route, arriving by way of some dirt roads coming in from highway 395. I arrived at the dam and followed the road across, stopping in the middle to make some photographs when I saw this late light on the lake and shoreline with the peak gradually emerging from the remnants of this late-spring storm.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: late, spring, storm, clears, clearing, carson, peak, grant, lake, june, lakes, loop, road, reservoir, rock, peninsula, low, water, surface, boulder, sun, light, evening, eastern, sierra, nevada, mountain, range, ridge, shadow, tree, forest, rock, valley, tower, cloud, blue, sky, landscape, travel, scenic, stock