Tag Archives: early

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspens and Early Snow, North Lake

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Aspens and Early Snow, North Lake

Aspens and Early Snow, North Lake. Sierra Nevada, California. October 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An early autumn snow fall dusts the ridge above the aspen groves at North Lake, Sierra Nevada, California.

Another photograph from my early October 2008 visit to the Bishop Creek area. On the first morning I left Bishop very early, waiting only long enough for the local Starbucks to open. (There I admired a couple of Vern Clevenger photos hanging on the wall – his gallery is next door – and saw a few other bleary-eyed photographers getting some much-needed coffee.) Although the weather was clear in Bishop, it began to cloud up as I drove up toward North Lake. When I arrived before sunrise it was cloudy there, but it looked the conditions might be good for some early morning aspen photography.

But not for long. Almost as soon as I took my gear out of the car the wind came up, the temperature dropped and it began to rain and then snow. I quickly holed up in my car to wait it out, and an hour later the sun began to emerge in between the light snow showers. This well known grove of aspens on the far side of the lake climbs a valley toward the ridge. Although many leaves came down quickly in the wind as the front passed, there was still a lot of color in the grove. Here there is still light snow falling on the ridge, even as sunlight slants in from the right.

keywords: early, autumn, fall, snow, snowfall, squall, weather, cloud, sky, mountain, ridge, aspen, grove, tree, color, orange, yellow, gold, brush, bush, north lake, sierra, nevada, range, eastern, scenic, landscape, travel, nature, stock, meadow, grass

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Meadow and Morning Fog, Half Dome and Glacier Point

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Meadow and Morning Fog, Half Dome and Glacier Point

Meadow and Morning Fog, Half Dome and Glacier Point. Yosemite National Park, California. April 21, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early morning fog above an oak-studded meadow in Yosemite Valley, with the cliffs of Half Dome and Glacier Point above. Yosemite National Park, California.

This is a photograph I recently revisited. It was made on a very cold April spring morning in the Valley as the sunlight began to stream over Half Dome and illuminate the Glacier Point apron and as ground fog began to lift from meadows on the floor of the Valley.

keywords: early, morning, dawn, light, fog, mist, meadow, grass, oak, tree, forest, half dome, glacier point, cloud, sky, silhouette, yosemite, valley, national park, california, usa, scenic, travel, landscape, nature, stock, cliff, granite

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Evening, Tenaya Lake, From Near Olmsted Point

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Evening, Tenaya Lake, From Near Olmsted Point

Evening, Tenaya Lake, From Near Olmsted Point. Yosemite National Park, California. September 8, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of early evening light on Tenaya Lake and surrounding valley and peaks as viewed from near Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park, California.

On this late summer evening I had just hiked out from a three-day backcountry photography pack trip, driven over Tioga Pass to grab a bit at Tioga Pass Resort, and was starting my drive home from the park. I happened to pass by Olmsted Point (where I don’t stop all that often these days) just as the sun was getting read to drop behind the ridge to the west of the point. To my mind, this is just about the most beautiful time of day at this spot, especially as the low angle sun illuminates rocks in the Olmsted Point area and begins to leave the valley holding Tenaya Lake. To make a long story short, I spent 30-45 minutes photographing here before heading home, and I make a few exposures of Tenaya just as the last light was hitting some of the nearby trees in the foreground.

keywords: black and white, early, evening, afternoon, tenaya, lake, olmsted, point, yosemite, national park, california, usa, tree, rock, forest, boulder, dome, peak, mountain, ridge, cloud, conness, tioga, road, pass, tuolumne, meadows, scenic, landscape, travel, stock, shadow

Photographs: Central California

Two Oak Trees, Morning

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Two Oak Trees, Morning

Two Oak Trees, Morning. Pacheco State Park, California. March 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two oak trees and grassland in morning light. This scene was photographed at Pacheco State Park on the top of the mountain range between Santa Clara Valley and California’s Great Central Valley. This park is a great place to see spring wildflowers, though the persistent winds can make photography challenging.

I always think of one other connection when I pass by this area or, better yet, stop and visit. When John Muir first travelled to the Sierra he came through this pass, and he marveled (as Muir frequently did) at the carpet of wildflowers extending into and across the valley in front of him. While we no longer see the sight the he described, during a few weeks each spring the wildflowers are thick enough that you can almost imagine it.

keywords: oaks, trees, grass, hills, sun, light, morning, early, fence, ridge, sky, silhouette, pacheco, state park, california, pass, usa, travel, scenic, nature, plants, spring, landscape, stock