Tag Archives: clouds

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Reeds, Sky, Reflecting Pond

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“Reeds, Sky, Reflecting Pond” — The sky above reed-covered wetlands islands is reflected in the surface of a pond.

On the right day, in the right conditions, these wetlands can sometimes feel like they are all about the sky. Standing next to a large pond that extends into the distance, the sky above and its inverse reflective twin stretch out in front of you. They meet at the horizon, with may be defined by a thick line of vegetation, as here, or the water and the sky may merge into a single thing.

It may not be immediately apparent, but a conjunction of atmospheric effects is behind this photograph. Above, the sky is filled with thin blue-gray clouds. Lower down in the distance, a rather thick fog bank still lurks. The foreground reeds are catching a beam of direct sunlight, almost appearing stark against the background of clouds and fog ad their reflection in the pond.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Trees, Dawn Sky

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“Winter Trees, Dawn Sky” — Bare winter trees silhouetted against a foggy dawn sky.

The large tree in this scene has been the subject of at least one other recently-shared photograph of mine. The earlier image focused almost exclusively on the tree. It was shot with a longer focal length, and the tree nearly fills the frame. Here I used a wide angle lens and worked from a distance, showing the tree it the context of its landscape surroundings.

This was a lovely morning at this Central Valley location. Thick pre-dawn tule fog began to drift and thin at first light, revealing muted views of the landscape. The fog was shallow, and overhead the sky was streaked with lines of clouds catching the first colorful light of the new day.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, Clearing Fog

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“Wetlands, Clearing Fog” — Morning tule fog clears to reveal wetlands ponds, grasses, and distant winter trees.

I made this photograph during a fortuitous moment of light and atmosphere. We were in California Central Valley wetlands primarily to photograph migratory birds. The tule fog was thick when we began our work before sunrise. But later on, as we came to the edge of this pond, the fog thinned around us, producing a bit of clear air even as more distant surroundings remained shrouded in fog.

In direct sunlight the effect can be somewhat harsh and stark, but since everything around from this little area was still shrouded in fog and mist (even the sky above contained clouds) the overall light was still soft. I got down low to position the darker foreground water and grasses in front of the more distant wetlands terrain and the distant trees barely visible in the fog.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands Sunrise

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“Wetlands Sunrise” — Tule fog clears above Central Valley wetlands at dawn.

Despite experiencing a couple of brilliant sunrises on our New Year’s photo jaunt, I had not shared any intensely colorful sunrise photographs. It is time. We arrived here in foggy pre-dawn darkness on New Year’s Day, assembled our gear, and headed out on a network of levee roads through wetlands terrain. Before long we came to a spot where the fog had thinned and we had a clearer view to the east. We stopped and photographed the landscape and the intense pre-sunrise sky.

The experience of being out here before sunrise is profoundly removed from our day-to-day experience. Here time moves slowly or even seems to stop. The tule fog thins, leaving behind a faint, soft mist. Flocks of geese and cranes rise and circle, their cries echoing across the landscape. The light gradually increases in the eastern sky and here the outline of the distant Sierra Nevada is visible along the horizon.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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