Tag Archives: dark

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Marbled Canyon Wall

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Marbled stone in a Death Valley canyon wall.

Marbled Canyon Wall. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Marbled stone in a Death Valley canyon wall.

This little section of canyon wall is one that I’ve marveled (marbled?) at for years, stopping there every time I visit this canyon and pondering how to photograph it. Although I find the patterns (and what they imply about the geology of this place) to be remarkable, it isn’t each to find a way to photograph them the way I want. On this visit the canyon was quite dark and the light filtering down from above was soft and blue-toned.

I am about as far from being a trained geologist as one can be. I have never taken a single course in the subject, though I have read a bit. Nonetheless, I always marvel at the record of time and geological forces that created a little spot like this. Some material was, I presume, laid down “here” over a long period of time. Additional time allowed for it to transform into rock. As geological forces on various scales did their work, cracks appeared that permitted the entrance of entirely different material to create what we see as veins — but which are perhaps better thought of as layers. Eventually the force of water (and perhaps a weakness in the structure of the rock?) exposed this rock to the light. And then I arrived to photograph it…

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

The Visitor

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The Visitor
An anomalous white rock rests against dark rock deep in a Death Valley canyon.

The Visitor. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An anomalous white rock rests against dark rock deep in a Death Valley canyon.

Desert canyons, especially in an arid place like Death Valley, are refuges from the harsh environment. Not that they are entirely gentle and friendly places, being periodically scoured out by floods and left covered in rocks. But they offer shade, sometimes sources of moisture, and occasional plants. The deepest and narrowest are quiet and still places.

They are transitory landscapes, on time scales that range from annual to much longer. Cut through by flowing water and weaknesses in the rock, they reveal strata from long ago. That flowing water inexorably moves material down from the peaks toward the playa, and almost anything we come across in such canyons will only be there temporarily. I don’t know enough geology to offer too many facts about this rock, but its light color against the surrounding dark rock was striking, as was its upright position.

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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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dry Wash, Morning

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Dry Wash, Morning
A dry wash, eroded hills, and dramatic sky.

Dry Wash, Morning. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A dry wash, eroded hills, and dramatic sky.

This dry wash leads off into barren (though colorful and fascinating) desert hills. I was here early one morning during a 2019 visit to Death Valley National Park. I spent a few quiet hours working my way though a nearby canyon, making photographs, and I stopped here for a bit to investigate this dry wash that seemed as if it might have been wet in the not-too-distant past.

Washes like this one are fascinating places. In a world where we often feel that we should stick to the trail and follow the established route, they invite us to improvise our way into the landscape. Walking up such a wash, it is impossible to find anything resembling a trail. While you may you may have a general direction in mind, the immediate route deviates around rocks, heads toward an interesting plant, ducks into shade, stops at a colorful rock, and goes just about anywhere else that your feet and thoughts might lead you.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Macro, Photographs: Nature

The Center

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The Center
The center of a white flower surrounded by darker petals

The Center. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The center of a white flower surrounded by darker petals.

Previously I’ve pointed out that I’m not the primary flower and foliage photographer in our household — that honor belongs to Patty Emerson Mitchell. Sometimes I accompany her on excursions to photograph this subject, and I made this photograph on one of those occasions when we spend the morning at a beautiful formal garden not too far from where we live.

I usually photograph flowers in color — in many cases color is the point! But every so often monochrome seems like the way to go, either because the particular flower’s color is not striking or because of the way that black and white may allow us to push and pull the image in ways that would not likely work in color. I’m often a bit surprised that some people seem to regard black and white as more “real” or true to the original subject. in truth, perhaps because we give up the possibility of an “accurate” rendition of a color subject when we work in black and white, we actually have far more room to modify and tweak the image to produce the result we have in mind — and often these modifications are far from subtle.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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