Tag Archives: cliff

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Late-Season Color, Lake and Mountains

Image November 6, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Late-season color surrounds a subalpine lake beneath talus fields and cliff

This lake was just “up the block” from our campsite in the Sierra backcountry this past September. We were there in roughly the third week of the month, base-camped near a lake from which we could explore large areas of the surrounding territory. These surroundings were filled with an abundance of small lake, forest, and plenty of rocky scenery, from talus fields to high peaks.

On several evenings I wandered up the path from our campsite in order to get to nearby lakes that lay at a somewhat higher elevation. These lakes were still surrounded by trees, albeit increasingly small trees and often with space between them. This lake had a lovely growth of tall grasses along its inlet stream, and here I have photographed it against the background of a huge cliff that was nearby.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Stained and Fractured Rock

Image October 26, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A stained and fractured rock face in the Sierra Nevada backcountry

I have one more of these “abstract” photographs of Sierra Nevada rocks. While I used the term “abstract,” these subjects are real rock faces, photographed in shadow light with fill reflected from sun-lit rocks across the valley behind my camera position. The rocks here were remarkable — dark slate-like material, covered with water and mineral stains, and cut through by cracks and small ledges.

Most often I think we are drawn to the big, beautiful landscape of trees and water and peaks in the Sierra. Those are, indeed, worthy subjects, and I photograph them frequently. But there are other things to see, some of them not so obvious. This face was one of those other things. I had missed it entirely the first time I passed by, and it was only after one of my friends suggested that it was worth another look that I decided to go back.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Yellow Trees, Red Brush

Image October 20, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A few yellow aspen trees, surrounded by red undergrowth, cling to a rocky face

I’m far from the first person to photograph this little group of trees, backed by a rough granite and standing among smaller plants that turn a deep reddish color in the fall. Given that these trees are just a few of many thousands standing near this spot, it still surprises me to see them photographed — and recognizable! — among so many other trees. They aren’t hard to see, but they aren’t exactly obvious either, and there are a few factors that might lead to them being passed without stopping.

If anything, it is probably the short, reddish undergrowth that contributes to their visibility — there are trees like these all over the Sierra, but most are not set against rocks and the red plants like this. I photographed the little scene when the area was in shadow — often my favorite light for aspen photography. This light is softer and it tends to fill the shadows, making the effect less stark.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Plants and Lichen, Colorful Cliff

Image October 16, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A few plants grow in cracks on a colorful cliff face in the Eastern Sierra Nevada

I’ll be honest. I had initially walked past this spot without even noticing it, back on the first day of our trip, when we were hiking in to the location of our base camp for the next week. I was tired, feeling the effects of altitude, and just wanted to “get there.” A few days later one of my compatriots happened to mention the “wall” back at the lake we had passed on the way in, and I made a mental note to try to visit before the trip ended. In fact, it wasn’t until the last full day of our visit that I finally made it back.

The site is special in several ways, though I’d bet that quite a few hikers don’t really notice it. It rises above a section of trail along the shoreline of a lake. The rocks vary from typical Sierra granite gray to dark slate-like rock, with veins of other materials running through here and there. There are some good-sized solid sections, but much of the wall is fractured and broken. Plants grow in some of the cracks and on ledges, and lichen is attached to the rocks as well. The wall remains in deep shade until rather late into the morning, but a beautiful wash of reflected light comes across the valley from bare peaks on the opposite side. Here you can view the photograph as a record of a real place, but you can also view it as an abstract construction of color and pattern. (I tend toward the latter way of seeing it.)

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: cliff

Late-Season Color, Lake and Mountains

Stained and Fractured Rock

Yellow Trees, Red Brush

Plants and Lichen, Colorful Cliff

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