Tag Archives: cliff

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Granite, Meadow, and Trees – Fletcher Lake

October 14, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Autumn colors and morning light on glaciated granite, late-season meadow grasses, and trees near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, Fletcher Lake, Yosemite National Park, California.

Technically this was shot near the end of summer, not in early autumn… but in the high country the observable change of seasons comes before the autumnal equinox, so it often really feels much more like autumn that summer by the second week of September. Many streams a low or dry, virtually all of the grasses have gone dormant and taken on the brown/gold color, the high country animals are clearly engaged in preparation for winter, and the number of human visitors greatly diminishes. (And at Fletcher Lake, employees are starting to dismantle the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp for the season.)

Fletcher Lake is a very familiar location for me. I go there at least once every year, sometimes more, and I almost always visit near the very end of the season. Because I know the area and its surroundings so well by now, I think that I see it in a very different way than I used to. I still notice the most striking features – the tremendous view toward Mount Conness, the impressive, fractured face of Fletcher Peak (the base of which is in the background of this photograph), the height of Vogelsang Peak. But more and more I look for the effect of warm late-season light on granite, meadow, and trees.

This photograph was made in the early morning. The very first light is blocked by a ridge to the east and by Fletcher Peak, but soon the light begins to come around the shoulder of Fletcher and light up the meadow grasses and trees, yet it leaves the face of Fletcher Peak in shadow.

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.

Web: G Dan Mitchell Photography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gdanmitchell
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/gdanmitchell
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gdanmitchell

keywords: granite, glacial, polish, boulder, erratic, rock, smooth, meadow, grass, brown, late, season, fall, autumn, pine, tree, grove, forest, mountain, cliff, fletcher, lake, peak, vogelsang, high, sierra, nevada, camp, range, snow, patch, talus, camp, backpack, hike, landscape, nature, shadow, morning, early, light, travel, scenic, stock

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Trees, Rock Face With Lichen

October 13, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Colorful lichens on a cracked cliff face between two aspen trees with fall colors near South Lake, Sierra Nevada, California.

I had passed by this section of rocks and cliffs just below Parcher’s Resort earlier in the day, noting the interesting trees against the jumbled background of the rock – but I decided against shooting there at first because the direct sun was still hitting the trees. Instead, I made a mental note to check back much later in the afternoon after the sun had moved lower and further west to put this area into diffused shadow lighting.

I came back later – when it was getting quite cold! – and wandered up and down this area making several exposures. The trickiest thing was that it was extremely windy. Low light, strong wind, and fluttering aspen leaves tend to conspire to make photography tricky, and this was no exception! The best approach seemed to involve not only high ISO… but also a great deal of patience. Once I set up a shot I would wait… and wait… and wait for a small lull in the wind, during which I would squeeze of a few exposures.

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.

Web: G Dan Mitchell Photography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gdanmitchell
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/gdanmitchell
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gdanmitchell

keywords: two, aspen, trees, trunk, branch, leaf, yellow, green, gold, white, cliff, rock, crack, granite, lichen, red, fall, autumn, season, nature, flora, foliage, landscape, scenic, travel, bishop, creek, south, lake, fork, road, color, sierra, nevada, range, mountains, california, usa, landscape, stock

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Edge of the Shadow, Ten Lakes Basin

September 16, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The shadow from tall cliffs to the west of Ten Lakes Basin moves across a small meadow near the base of the cliffs, Yosemite National Park, California.

Although I have backpacked in the Sierra and in Yosemite for many decades and have visited many parts of the back-country so often that I know individual rocks and trees (!), I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I had not been into the Ten Lakes Basin until my trip in late August. I’ve looked up at the valley through which the trail to the Basin climbs as I’ve driven past on Tioga Pass Road but I’ve always thought of this location as not high enough for me since I prefer the highest sub-alpine terrain.

This little clearing in the forest is located between what some call “lake three and lake four,” the two lakes up the creek from the largest lake in the center of the Basin, which is the one where most people seem to camp. (I camped at “lake three” and had it entirely to myself for two nights.) Because the ridge to the west of the Basin is so high and steep and close to these lakes, the shadow from the ridge begins to block the light quite early in the day.

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.

Web: G Dan Mitchell Photography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gdanmitchell
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/gdanmitchell
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gdanmitchell

keywords: edge, shadow, moves, afternoon, light, tall, cliff, forest, tree, grass, brush, flora, boulder, rock, talus, scree, ten, lakes, basin, yosemite, national, park, california, usa, hike, backpack, camp, nature, landscape, scenic, travel, sierra, nevada, mountain, range, sub, alpine, branch, trunk, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Cypress Trees in Fog #2

September 10, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Cypress trees and rocks in fog, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

Once I finally admitted that the sun was not going to come out before sunset – which would have been obvious to anyone who did not arrive at Point Lobos with my incorrect preconceptions about the day’s weather – I set about making photographs of subjects that were made more interesting by the fog.

This tree is one that I’ve walked past many times while shooting along the northwest portion of the park just to the “right” of the Punta de los Lobos Marinos and in an area of trails along the bluffs and through Monterey Pine groves. Usually the scene right here is pretty complicated, with many trees, lots of rocks and so forth – but on this evening the fog simplified things, fading all parts of the scene except for this one closer tree growing on top of the rocks.

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.

Web: G Dan Mitchell Photography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gdanmitchell
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/gdanmitchell
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gdanmitchell

keywords: monterey, cypress, tree, fog, mist, cloud, pinnacle, point, hill, cliff, rock, bluff, shore, seascape, pacific, ocean, peninsula, california, usa, carmel, sea, rugged, point, lobos, state, reserve, park, landscape, nature, travel, scenic, stock, stump, snag, water, foam

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.