Tag Archives: cliff

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Cloud Shadows on North Dome

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Cloud Shadows on North Dome
Cloud Shadows on North Dome. Yosemite National Park, California. May 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Late afternoon cloud shadows race across the top of North Dome with Mount Hoffman beyond and Yosemite Valley below. Photographed from Glacier Point.

Mt. Hoffman is one of the most historic locations in the park. It was from Hoffman’s summit that members of the California Survey Party did much of their early mapping work in the 1800s. Today there is almost a trail to the summit – a steep but not overly difficult route (if you are used to off-trail alpine travel) from May Lake.

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Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

El Capitan, Clouds Rest, and Half Dome – Morning Light

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El Capitan, Clouds Rest, and Half Dome - Morning Light
El Capitan, Clouds Rest, and Half Dome – Morning Light. Yosemite National Park, California. April 27, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Hardly need to identify the subject of this photograph! It was taken from that place – the Wawona Tunnel View. Although it is nearly impossible to create a new view of this scene, I’ll mention a few things that are different from the usual “line up with other photographers and photograph the sunset” shots. This was done with a rather long lens – shot with the 100-400mm, it is morning, the actual light was quite hazy and filtered.

As to why anyone would shoot this spot… well, there is a reason that everyone stops and gawks from this spot… ;-) Sometimes I stop there as I pass by and don’t bother to even get the camera out.

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Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Windblown Spray, Upper Bridalveil Fall

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Upper Bridalveil Fall, Windblown Spray
Upper Bridalveil Fall, Windblown Spray. Yosemite National Park, California. April 27, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of the windblown spray at the top of Bridalveil Fall catching early morning light with a single tree silhouetted against the sky.

keywords: black and white, photo, photography, water, fall, waterfall, bridalveil, tree, silhouette, wind, windblown, spray, mist, morning, light, scenic, travel, landscape, yosemite, valley, national park, california, usa, stock, cliff, ridge

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Titus Canyon

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Titus Canyon

Titus Canyon. Death Valley National Park, California. April 3, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of Titus Canyon, Death Valley National Park.

This was, to say the least, a difficult shot. Besides driving nearly 30 miles on dirt roads, there were photographic challenges, not the least of which is the extreme dynamic contrast between the very bright sky and the dark canyon walls. Needless to say, this photograph is the result of some significant post-processing work – but do click the image to view it larger.

The road through Titus Canyon is one of the most amazing features of any Western US National Park. (Shhh….) It begins on a rather typical high desert dirt road through sagebrush country but then ascends into the Amargosa range. Before long this narrow one-way track twists and turns up and down steep ridges past amazing rocky ridges and along the top of tremendous canyons – while not a true four-wheel drive road, it is not for the faint hearted. It then descends into Titus Canyon itself, and near the bottom it passes through an unbelievable slot canyon – in places barely wider than your car the canyon walls rise vertically for hundreds of feet above. (If you visit Titus Canyon, check with the park service first since road conditions are very rough and can change.)

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