Tag Archives: county

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Forest, Morning Fog

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Forest, Morning Fog
“Forest, Morning Fog” — Soft sunlight appears as morning fog begins to clear above a forested hillside, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One of my favorite kinds of light is found at “the edge of the light” —places that are neither in full sun nor fully shaded. Often I search out these spots, especially when fog is involved. The effect can range from subtle to quite striking when there are strong contrasts between deep shadow and light. Here there is an additional factor — not only are the foreground trees in a bit of that gentle light coming through the fog, but the more distant trees almost disappear into the thicker clouds.

We often hear something along the lines of, “photography is all about the light.” That’s not quite literally true in every case, but there’s no question that interesting light can turn an otherwise-mundane subject into something special. To be honest, this scene would not likely catch your attention at all in typical full sunlight nor in thicker fog — it is that glow on the foreground trees that makes it work.

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: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Forest, Fog, Soft Light

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Forest, Fog, Soft Light
“Forest, Fog, Soft Light” — Soft morning light filtered through coastal fog on a forested hillside near the California coast.

It isn’t news that California and the West have been suffering under an extreme and long-lasting heat wave. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area it has been bad — though clearly it is much worse in other locations. This week I finally had enough, and I drove over the hills to the coast early in the morning to seek out fog. I found it! In fact, it was so thick on the coast (where the temperature was a blessed 55 degrees) that it interfered with my intended photography. So I followed side roads that took me inland to the edge of the fog, where soft light was starting to illuminate the landscape.

By most measures, this is a rather nondescript location. (I actually parked in from of a CalFire Station.) But across the small valley, trees led up the hillside, catching the soft light that was just barely penetrating the fog. There’s an additional detail here: A large wildfire swept through a few years back, denuding the landscape in many places. These trees at the bottom of the valley were spared, but you can see skeleton of dead trees on top of the ridge.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Wood and Stones

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Wood and Stones
“Wood and Stones” — Cast-up driftwood, stones, and seashore detritus on coastal rocks at Point Lobos.

The conditions on this mid-April visit to Point Lobos were a sort that coastal Californians recognize as summer-like: cold, windy, damp, and foggy. Ironic, no? But during the time of year when it is hot in most of California, it is frequently foggy and cool at the coast — which is part of what Californians like about the coast. As the clouds began to thin a bit on this morning at Point Lobos, the light changed from gray to the soft, slightly directional sort that is ideal for subjects like this.

I have photographed this spot — not just Point Lobos itself, but this specific place in the park — literally for decades. I’m pretty sure that the first time I photographed here I was a kid and using 120 film in a cheap Brownie camera. But I still find something here on every visit. Wandering this cove is almost a visual meditation. There’s so much to see, especially when winter’s debris is still plentiful, that I have to give up any pretense of working quickly. Instead I wander slowly, letting my mind slow down enough that I can start to pick out subjects among the rocks, sand, driftwood, and sea wrack.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Levee Road, Trees, Fog

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Levee Road, Trees, Fog
“Levee Road, Trees, Fog” — Morning tule fog clears beyond a pair of Central Valley trees next to a levee road.

I love tule fog and the mysterious atmosphere it creates. But even more, I love what happens as it clears. Out here in the Central Valley the fog often seems to drift and thin unevenly. It moves away in one place to reveal a hazy landscape, but nearby the fog lingers and blocks longer views. Visible overhead through the shallow layer is combination of blue morning sky, high clouds, and sometimes soft remnants of the dissipating fog.

This scene is along a levee road, one of a seemingly infinite number of similar roads out in the wet parts of the valley. Many Californians, including me, tend to think of the summertime Central Valley, a place that is known for heat and dryness. But in the winter it can be the opposite, a cold and damp place, often dotted by seasonal ponds and lakes.

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.