Tag Archives: Cloud

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Wild Horses

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Wild Horses
A herd of feral horses in high desert hill country east of the Sierra Nevada

Wild Horses. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A herd of feral horses in high desert hill country east of the Sierra Nevada.

Those of us whose orientation to the Sierra Nevada and points east comes mainly from visits as outsiders can overlook aspects of the culture and history of the area that we weren’t looking for. As someone who came to these mountains, starting many decades ago, as a camper and backpacker (and, at times skier, climber, and photographer) my orientation held that the range was mainly a place about wilderness. It is that, in many ways, but that’s not all it is. Over time I learned and accepted that there are other threads: prospecting and mining, fishing (I tried, but little luck!), ranching, and more.

This herd of feral horses is probably a remnant of some of those “other” threads. Over decades a number of horses managed to get free, and they also managed to survive rather well in some of the areas east of the Sierra. (I first saw them decades ago way out in Nevada.) I ran into this herd on an exploration into less-visited areas roughly east of Yosemite a few years back. I had rumors, but wasn’t necessarily expecting to see them — but was thrilled when I came over a low saddle and spotted them up ahead. (It might seem surprising to some that I’ve put this photograph in the “wildlife” category, but these horses are no longer domesticated critters.)

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 and Amazon.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Reflecting Pond, Meadow, Thunderheads

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Reflecting Pond, Meadow, Thunderheads
A meadow pond reflects sky and evening thunderheads.

Reflecting Pond, Meadow, Thunderheads. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A meadow pond reflects sky and evening thunderheads.

Many people probably enjoy the typical Sierra Nevada summer day. Who wouldn’t enjoy perfect blue skies, temperatures perhaps as high as the mid-seventy degree range at 8,000 feet of elevation, gentle breezes? Photographers, that’s who! Actually, we do like the comforts of warmth and sunlight — it is just that the visual environment can be a bit… bland. So, yes, a string of perfect weather days in the Sierra will often get photographers complaining.

The most typical variation in the summer weather pattern comes from monsoon moisture, sweeping up from the south and sometimes parking along the crest of the range and frequently to the east. This weather may (or may not) bring a brief shower (or downpour!), but it always brings interesting skies. This was almost one of the boring, perfect blue sky days but for the beautiful thunderheads on the other side of the Sierra crest. I headed out into this still-green meadow, where the early season flooding had receded, leaving a few pools like this one to reflect the clouds and sky.

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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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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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

Alpine Lake, Cloud Shadows, Reflection

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Alpine Lake, Cloud Shadows, Reflection
The talus slopes on a Sierra crest ridge, mottled with cloud shadows, is reflected in the surface of an alpine lake.

This is an interesting place. I’ve visited quite a few times in the past, and in varying conditions of light, season, and weather. My first visit was many years ago, when a friend an I backpacked into the area very late in the season, experiencing cold temperatures and early snowfall. When I visited last year it was early in the season following a year of record-setting precipitation, and at almost the same point in the season it was difficult to cross the snowfields along the route. Once I got there I could not cross the rushing torrent of the outlet stream. This year the hike was less challenging, and I encountered no snow at all.

This lake lies at the end of my planned hike on this visit. It is a moderate-sized subalpine lake that is surrounded mostly by rocky meadows and high, talus-covered mountain slopes. The first clouds of what would be afternoon thunderstorms were arriving, and the wind propelled their shadows across the landscape. I made several exposures as the light changed, enjoying the kaleidoscope-like effect produced by the reflection in the surface of the lake.

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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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Yosemite Cliffs, New Snow

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Yosemite Cliffs, New Snow
Cloud-filtered light passes over granite cliffs dusted by snow

Yosemite Cliffs, New Snow. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Cloud-filtered light passes over granite cliffs dusted by snow

This photograph came as a bit of a surprise. It had been cold and cloudy, and much of the light was rather flat underneath overcast. I had photographed through the afternoon, often finding moments of fine light, but as the day wound toward sunset the clouds thickened and obscured much of the earlier light. Running out of ideas — except for some that I was holding for a bit later — I ended up at an accessible location and, much to my surprise, some like appeared. Moments earlier this bit of cliff face had been entirely in shadow, but then a break in the clouds moved past and illuminated it.

There is a notion that landscape photography is always a slow and contemplative exercise. It certainly can be that, and I know I do spend a fair amount of time walking slowly, looking, thinking, and not necessarily making photographs until I find something — or it finds me. But as much as the landscape doesn’t move, the light and atmosphere often change quite quickly, and photographing it can be an exercise in timing. The timing takes the form of being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, something that you cannot control even though you can increase the odds, and then the timing of making photographs at the moments when light does its most interesting stuff. At these times if you turn away for a few seconds you may miss something entirely.

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