Tag Archives: clouds

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

A Storm Approaches

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A Storm Approaches
“A Storm Approaches” — Forest trees stand in sunlight while distant ridges are darkened by the clouds of an approaching Sierra storm.

At first look this might just seem like a photograph of a row of trees. It is late in the day, and the warm light lends color to this forest at Tuolumne Meadows, and it looks like a pleasant early evening. But that bluish strip at the top of the frame tells a different story. Look closely and you can make out a peak, and the peak is backed by higher peaks that are partially obscured by the dark clouds from an incoming storm.

We hear all the time that photography is about light, and there’s truth to that claim. (I would hold that it isn’t always “just” about light, but subjects usually benefit a lot from wonderful light.) One of my favorite situations is the one shown here — something nearby in lovely, warm light, but in the background a darker and more dramatic effect.

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

Wetlands, Winter Clouds and Fog

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Wetlands, Winter Clouds and Fog
“Wetlands, Winter Clouds and Fog” — Winter clouds and fog mute the colors and details of a wetland landscape.

Who can resist the symmetry of clouds and their reflections in still water? I know I cannot. I have photographed such things many times, but more typically the photographs feature some kind of overpowering sky — thunderstorms or a brilliantly colorful sunrise or sunset. (In fact, I’ve made a few of the latter at this very location.) But here I wanted to focus on something different, a subject that suggests the quiet and stillness of this wetlands landscape.

It was a foggy winter morning. As the fog began to thin the high clouds and their reflections became visible, although the horizon just beyond the rushes was still obscured by tule fog. Aside from the sounds of birds, it was quiet. The air was nearly still, and the scene was almost static — though to be accurate, it was simply changing very slowly.

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

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

September Rain

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September Rain
“September Rain” — A late-season rain shower over Sierra Nevada crest peaks and a stand of trees.

This photograph comes from that wonderful late-season time when the crowds diminish, the temperatures drop, things seem to slow down, and there are clear signs that the summer weather is coming to an end. I had gone to the Sierra just east of Yosemite for a few days of camping and photography. The weather was cold and blustery, and the sky was spitting rain as I set up my tent.

With camp set up, I had time to look around and notice the veil of rain draped across the rugged features of this nearby mountain, lit by soft light coming through the showers. I walked a short distance from my camp, found some interesting foreground trees, set up, and made this photograph before the rain arrived in camp.

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 | Post | Email

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

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Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Oban Waterfront, Dusk

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Oban Waterfront, Dusk
“Oban Waterfront, Dusk” — Waterfront buildings reflected in smooth water at dusk, Oban, Scotland.

Our recent visit to Scotland included jet lag adjustment time before our Great Glen Way walk. It did not seem wise to get off our 11-hour flight, eight time zones away from home and immediately start walking! We spent our first night near the airport in Glasgow, then took a train to Oban for a couple of nights before heading to our trailhead in Fort William. Oban was a wonderful surprise — a lovely, walkable town on the waterfront. And, of course, the Oban Whisky distillery is in town. And, yes, we visited!

We stayed at a B&B about ten minutes from the center of town. As we walked back from dinner we came upon this lovely dusk light over the waterfront. I had not thought much about it before the trip, but Scotland is so far north (the northern tip is about as far north as Juneau, Alaska) that the daylight lasted until nearly 10:00pm.

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 | Post | 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.