Tag Archives: criss-cross

Lattice Fence

Lattice Fence
“Lattice Fence ” — Detail view of lattice fence.

Believe it or not, I have been trying to photograph this bit of fence of several years. It isn’t that it has been a major goal for me, but every time we visit this place I end up trying to make a picture of it. It is one of those subjects that seems like it should be simple to photograph, but then it turns out to be anything but. Part of the issue is that the symmetry that attracts me to its form creates some compositional issues.

I’m more pleased with the version I came up with on this visit. I bypassed some color challenges (the colors aren’t exactly striking) by going with a monochromatic rendition. Some thin clouds softened the light — although the subject is under trees, often there is either a bit of direct light on it or, worse, on the stuff in the background. And this time that background was in soft, deep shade.


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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Sidewalk and Steel Plates

Sidewalk and Steel Plates
Sidewalk and Steel Plates

Sidewalk and Steel Plates San Francisco, California. July 12, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Patterned steel plates criss-cross a sidewalk in San Francisco, California.

This pattern caught my attention as I walked behind the Ferry Building toward the waterfront – the plates apparently cover underground utilities of some sort. The odd angles and the glow of the diffused light from overhead fog created interesting patterns and texture. At first I thought of keeping this as a color image, but in the end the colors were so soft and so close to monochromatic that I decided to go with this version.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/16, 1/125 second

keywords: san francisco, california, usa, north america, city, urban, sidewalk, driveway, cement, concrete, steel, texture, plate, reflection, glow, criss-cross, diagonal, minimalism, ferry, building, the, embarcadero, stock, abstract, black and white, monochrome