Tag Archives: dark

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

A Dark Corner

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A Dark Corner
Boulders, fallen leaves, and a tree trunk in shadow along the base of a Yosemite Valley cliff.

A Dark Corner. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Boulders, fallen leaves, and a tree trunk in shadow along the base of a Yosemite Valley cliff.

I made this photograph in Yosemite Valley during the difficult midday hours — difficult because the light is not as intrinsically beautiful at this time of day. Out in the open it the can be harsh, and inside the forest’s shade too many light beams break through the canopy. But I don’t want to write off so many hours of the day, so I often continue to look for compositions, seeing out shading places, haze, and subjects with some kind of graphic quality.

In the early afternoon I took a lazy hike along the base of one of the great granite cliffs in the Valley. I wanted to visit a spot where I know water would meet the valley after cascading down granite cliffs. I hoped to go right to the base of the cascade… but there was too much water! So I wandered in a different direction and noticed this old, dark tree trunk in the shadow of giant boulder.

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: New York City, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Scaffolding Detail, Manhattan

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Scaffolding Detail, Manhattan
Scaffolding supports against a dark wall, Mahnattan.

Scaffolding Detail, Manhattan. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Scaffolding supports against a dark wall, Manhattan.

Some who know me as a “landscape” or “nature” photographer might be surprised to hear that I love photographing in the urban environment, particularly doing street photography and looking for interesting bits a pieces of the city world. Manhattan is among the most fascinating places to photograph — there’s constant action and a density of people and subjects that is rarely equalled.

On the final morning of my recent visit I had time before heading to the airport to do one more quick walk in the area just below Central Park. Among other subjects I found the ever-present construction scaffolding above sidewalks. These structures are ostensibly there to protect pedestrians from overhead work, but one New Yorker explained to me that sometimes they are simply left up since that is easier than paying to stow them!

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 | Twitter | 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: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Spring Cloudburst

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Spring Cloudburst
A spring cloudburst moves across a Southern California grassland landscape.

Spring Cloudburst. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A spring cloudburst moves across a Southern California grassland landscape.

At the end of March we detoured though mountains west of the San Joaquin Valley on our way home from Death Valley, looking for grasslands where the spring wildflower bloom was starting. After a few false starts — two dead-ends that forced us to turn around and try different routes — we finally made it to this big valley where wet years produce an immense carpet of wildflowers.

The tail end of a weather system was passing through, producing conditions that are common here in the spring — mixed sun and rain, sudden cloudbursts, and fascinating light. A downpour darkens the sky against a background of intense sunlight on the rain and distant clouds, elements that almost completely drained the scene of color.

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 | Twitter | 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: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Geese, Dark Sky

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Geese, Dark Sky
Geese in flight against a dark autumn sky above California’s Central Valley.

Geese, Dark Sky. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Geese in flight against a dark autumn sky above California’s Central Valley.

What visit to the country of winter migratory birds would not be complete without at least one photograph simply of birds filling the sky? These are most likely Ross’s geese — though it is a little hard to say for sure at this distance. As they do numerous times each day, they lifted off en masse when something disturbed them, flew in ever-widening circles for a few minutes, found a new spot, and settle back down on the ground. During that time the sky was filled with a swirling mass of geese.

The conditions at this moment were just right for a darker sky than usual. It was a foggy morning. Earlier the fog had been thick enough to make driving dangerous and bird photography almost impossible. But now, a few hours later, the fog was lifting and opening up the visibility near the ground.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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