Tag Archives: eastern

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Yellow Trees, Red Brush

Image October 20, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A few yellow aspen trees, surrounded by red undergrowth, cling to a rocky face

I’m far from the first person to photograph this little group of trees, backed by a rough granite and standing among smaller plants that turn a deep reddish color in the fall. Given that these trees are just a few of many thousands standing near this spot, it still surprises me to see them photographed — and recognizable! — among so many other trees. They aren’t hard to see, but they aren’t exactly obvious either, and there are a few factors that might lead to them being passed without stopping.

If anything, it is probably the short, reddish undergrowth that contributes to their visibility — there are trees like these all over the Sierra, but most are not set against rocks and the red plants like this. I photographed the little scene when the area was in shadow — often my favorite light for aspen photography. This light is softer and it tends to fill the shadows, making the effect less stark.

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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspens in Transition

Image October 17, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A large Eastern Sierra Nevada aspen grove partway though the fall color transition

This photograph comes from one of the few specific locations for Eastern Sierra aspen color that I’ll typically name and locate without reservations. It is impossible to miss, as it is right next to US 395 between the towns of Bridgeport and Lee Vining, at the high point of this section of the roadway where it crosses Conway Summit. You can pull over to the side of the road — and if you pass by on the best days you won’t be able to resist — and take in a panoramic view up toward the Sierra crest that includes many beautiful aspen groves. (I’m reticent about sending too many people to less-known, fragile, and quiet locations… especially since there are so many great places where you can find aspen color on your own.)

On this afternoon I passed by this spot as I traveled between a couple of other places where I looked for and photographed autumn color. I, too, was unable to resist (another) stop here. You may notice the soft light in this scene. It was overcast and there was light rain falling closer to the crest. On the scene such light can seem drab and dull, but the softer light also fills in the shadows and can provide you with an exposure that allows you to reveal a lot of detail and color in the post-processing phase. Notice also that the color is far from uniform in this large grove, ranging from peak color (and beyond, in a few cases) to very green trees in the distance. It is rare to find an entire large grove producing uniform brilliant color, since the aspens here tend to change color in phases. I’ve come to like and even prefer this less uniform color change pattern, and sometimes I think that the presence of green trees enhances to intensity of the more colorful trees.

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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: Sierra Nevada

Plants and Lichen, Colorful Cliff

Image October 16, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A few plants grow in cracks on a colorful cliff face in the Eastern Sierra Nevada

I’ll be honest. I had initially walked past this spot without even noticing it, back on the first day of our trip, when we were hiking in to the location of our base camp for the next week. I was tired, feeling the effects of altitude, and just wanted to “get there.” A few days later one of my compatriots happened to mention the “wall” back at the lake we had passed on the way in, and I made a mental note to try to visit before the trip ended. In fact, it wasn’t until the last full day of our visit that I finally made it back.

The site is special in several ways, though I’d bet that quite a few hikers don’t really notice it. It rises above a section of trail along the shoreline of a lake. The rocks vary from typical Sierra granite gray to dark slate-like rock, with veins of other materials running through here and there. There are some good-sized solid sections, but much of the wall is fractured and broken. Plants grow in some of the cracks and on ledges, and lichen is attached to the rocks as well. The wall remains in deep shade until rather late into the morning, but a beautiful wash of reflected light comes across the valley from bare peaks on the opposite side. Here you can view the photograph as a record of a real place, but you can also view it as an abstract construction of color and pattern. (I tend toward the latter way of seeing it.)

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Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Flight, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

What October Looks Like

Image October 15, 2018 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

This is a set of recent Sierra Nevada fall photographs that I’ve been working on. Enjoy!

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G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: eastern

Yellow Trees, Red Brush

Aspens in Transition

Plants and Lichen, Colorful Cliff

What October Looks Like

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.